(Death, Heaven, Purgatory, Hell)
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
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SYNOD OF BISHOPS
X ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THE BISHOP:
SERVANT OF THE GOSPEL
OF JESUS CHRIST
FOR THE HOPE OF THE WORLD
INTRUMENTUM LABORIS
VATICAN CITY
2001
© The General
Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
This text can be reproduced by Bishops' Conferences, or at their authorization,
provided that the contents are not altered in any way and two copies of the same
be sent to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, 00120 Vatican City
State.
INTRODUCTION
From the Perspective of a New Millennium
1. Jesus Christ, our Hope (1 Tim 1:1), the same, yesterday, today and for ever
(Heb 13:8) and chief Shepherd (1 Pt 5:4), guides his Church to the fullness of
truth and life, until the day of his glorious return, when all promises will be
realized and the hopes of humanity fulfilled.
At the beginning of the third Christian millennium, the Church and humanity are
walking together towards a future marked by the legacy of the past century with
its array of lights and shadows.
We find ourselves in a new moment of human history in which many question the
destiny of humanity and wonder what is in store for the future. On the one hand,
the world is engaged in the dynamism of progress and a growing interdependence
in economic matters, culture and communications; on the other, it is still the
site of local conflicts and wide areas of increasing hunger, sickness and
poverty.
The beginning of a new millennium puts the building of the future at the center
of the world-conscience and, consequently, the subject of hope which is
essential to homo viator and the Christian, who eagerly look to the fulfilment
of God’s promises. This hope enlightens faith and stimulates charity as one goes
forth into an uncertain future.
2. The Tenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, initially
scheduled during the Jubilee Year and now to take place in October 2001, is part
of this new beginning.
With prophetic intuition, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II assigned to this
assembly the treatment of the theme: Episcopus minister Evangelii Iesu Christi
propter spem mundi.
Various, thought-provoking reasons make this theme particularly opportune in the
life of the Church and humanity. Though these reasons are primarily theological
and ecclesial in nature, some are associated with society and the human person.
In the Footsteps of Previous Synodal Assemblies
3. We begin by treating the theological reasons. The whole Church has joyfully
celebrated the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, commemorating the birth of Our
Lord Jesus Christ. Not only did the Holy Year recall with gratitude his coming
into our midst some 2000 years ago, it also celebrated his living presence in
the Church throughout these twenty centuries of history and exalted his unique
role as Saviour of the world and center of the cosmos and all history.
Because of the inseparable bond between Christ and his Gospel, the synod topic
underscores that Jesus Christ, Son of God, sent by the Father and anointed by
the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 10:36) is the hope of the world and humanity. He is the
hope of every person and the entire person.[1]
Indeed, Christ is the final word and total gift of the Father, the true Gospel
of God in which all promises are to be fulfilled, the “Amen” of God (cf. 2 Cor
1:20) and the fulfilment of the world’s hopes. His Gospel proclaims a message
which is always good and always new. It is the power of life, continuing over 20
centuries to shed light on the world’s path into the future. Inseparable is the
Person of Christ, his doctrine, his work, his teaching and his message from that
of the Church where he continues to be present. At the beginning of the third
millennium, the Church joyfully proposes again the message of life and hope for
all humanity.[2]
4. The reasons of an ecclesial nature for treating the synod theme fall into two
categories: those having an enduring validity and others resulting from the
contemporary situation.
In his final days on earth, the Lord Jesus sent his Apostles forth as his
witnesses and messengers to the ends of the earth, until the end of time. His
words underlie the dutiful task of proposing his person and doctrine to the
world as the supreme hope: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). Today, the Bishops in communion
with the Pope are called to fulfill this task together with all members of the
Church. Though each is to be a witness of the Gospel of Christ in the world. ,
the Bishops, as Successors of the Apostles, have “the noble task of being the
first to proclaim the ‘reasons for hope’ (cf. 1 Pt 3:15); that hope which is
based on the promises of God, on fidelity to his Word and which has as its
unshakeable certitude the resurrection of Christ, his definitive victory over
evil and sin.”[3]
The importance of the Tenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on
the ministry of the Bishop as the servant of the Gospel for the hope of the
world clearly emerges when placed in sequence to preceding ordinary general
assemblies: The Vocation and Mission of the Laity in the Church and in the World
(1987), The Formation of Priests in Circumstances of the Present-Day (1990) and
The Consecrated Life and its Role in the Church and in the World (1994). All
these synods have been followed by the Holy Father’s publication of post-synodal
apostolic exhortations: Christifideles laici, Pastores Dabo Vobis and Vita
Consecrata, respectively.
Therefore, at this time it seems opportune to treat the theme of the ministry of
the Bishop, from the perspective of the proclamation of the Gospel and hope, as
almost the culmination and summing-up of former ordinary assemblies. The
preceding synods have sparked renewal in the various vocations within the People
of God, contributing to a greater complementarity of each’s role in an
ecclesiology of communion and mission, while respecting the Church’s
hierarchical and charismatic nature. The treatment of the theme of the Bishop at
this synod assembly highlights the need to direct towards the future the mission
of the entire People of God, in communion with its Pastors.
5.In the last decade of the twentieth century, at the close of the second
millennium of the Christian era, the Roman Pontiff called the Bishops of various
continents to take part in special synodal assemblies to treat the Church in
Europe (1991 and 1999), Africa (1994), America (1997), Asia (1998) and Oceania
(1998). Each of these synodal assemblies resulted in post-synodal documents,
some published and others in the process of publication.
Therefore, the next ordinary general assembly, in treating its proper theme,
will have at its disposal the experiences of these particularly intense periods
of unprecedented synodal communion.
In a certain sense, each synodal gathering over the decades has pertained to the
episcopal ministry, not only because the Synod of Bishops by its nature gathers
Bishops from around the world but also because each synod has contributed in
some way to shaping the ministerial role of the Bishop in relation to
Evangelization (1974), Catechesis (1977), Family (1981), Reconciliation and
Penance (1983), The Lay Faithful (1987), Priests (1990), The Consecrated Life
(1994) and the realization of the objectives of the Second Vatican Council in
the Extraordinary Synod of 1985.
6. The doctrinal and pastoral aspects of the theme of the synod concern the
proclamation of the Gospel of Christ for the hope of the world. From this
perspective, the theme of the next ordinary general assembly has a social and
anthropological relevance. The Church, who wishes to share in “the joys and the
hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of this age”[4] needs to question herself on
the paths humanity is to take in these times in which she is present as the salt
of the earth and light to the world (cf. Mt 5:13-14). She needs to ask herself
how the true hope of the world, Jesus Christ and his Gospel, are to be
proclaimed today.
We are at the onset of a new millennium of the Christian era, characterized by
special situations in societies and cultures, almost an aetas nova, a new epoch,
referred to oftentimes as post-modernism or post-modernity. A renewed effort is
required to make the proclamation of salvation resound in the world so as to
generate the theological dynamism inherent in the Gospel. In this way, all
humanity “in hearing might believe, in believing might hope and in hoping might
love.”[5]
Christian hope is intimately connected to the courageous proclamation of the
Gospel in its entirety, a work which stands out among the principal features of
the episcopal ministry. To accomplish this, the Bishop, in the course of his
many duties and tasks, “beyond all the concerns and difficulties which are
inevitably bound to the daily, faithful exercise of his work in the Lord’s
vineyard, must have hope, before all else.”[6]
Continuity and Newness
7. The preparation and celebration of the Tenth Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops can be said to be one of the many graces in recent years.
The publication of the Lineamenta in 1998 and the thorough examination of
various topics associated with the ministry of the Bishop has raised much
interest and has generated information from which common themes emerge. The
present Instrumentum Laboris results from the responses of the Episcopal
Conferences and other bodies as well as from the responses of many Bishops and
other members of the People of God. This document is meant to set forth and
illustrate the theme chosen by the Pope through the inclusion of questions and
recommendations, much like in the Lineamenta, in such a way as to provide an
orderly, clear procedure for synod discussion.
The preparation for the synodal assembly has passed from the consultation in the
Lineamenta to a report on the responses to this document in the Instrumentum
labori. In this way, the normal course of the synodal process continues in an
uninterrupted meditation on the theme chosen by the Holy Father. Such a flow of
material from the initial document to this working document is particularly
noteworthy. Indeed, the high consensus obtained by the Lineamenta has resulted
in a highly homogenous development of ideas and a marked similarity between the
two texts.
The rich experience of the world’s Bishops during the last ordinary general
assemblies and the special synodal assemblies, as well as the valuable teachings
which have resulted, provide a basis for a very fruitful preparation of the
upcoming assembly. Therefore, the Instrumentum Laboris will not give a detailed
description of the world situation, much less will it draw attention to
particular or regional questions already examined in preceding continental
assemblies.
8. The ministry of the Bishop as the servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for
the hope of the world is specifically treated in the context of the Church’s
magisterium and finds expression in the documents of Vatican II, particularly
the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium and the Decree Christus Dominus, due to
their doctrinal content on the subject.
The Pastoral Directory of the Congregation for Bishops Ecclesiae Imago (22
February 1973) maintains an essential validity even today, because of its
completeness and practicality in illustrating the concept of the Bishop and his
ministry in the particular Church.[7] The updated theological-juridical
viewpoint on the subject is found in the Codex Iuris Canonici (CIC) of 1983 and
the Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium (CCEO) of 1990.
Many documents of the post-conciliar magisterium make specific reference to the
pastoral ministry of Bishops. Among these, special attention must be given to
the addresses of the Roman Pontiff to the various Episcopal Conferences on the
occasion of their ad limina visits or discourses to Bishops during papal trips
in recent decades.
More recent documents on specific questions of the pastoral ministry of Bishops
in the universal Church and the particular Churches, include, for their
ecclesiological value, the Letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith entitled “On Some Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion
Communionis Notio” (28 May 1992) [8] and, finally, Pope John Paul II’s motu
proprio Apostolic Letter Apostolos Suos (21 May 1998) on the theological and
juridical nature of Episcopal Conferences.[9]
9. The initial reference to “the Bishop” in the theme assigned by the Holy
Father to the upcoming synodal assembly needs clarification. The idea concerns
the episcopal ministry in its wide range of aspects and pastoral tasks as
illustrated in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium and the Decree Christus
Dominus. All Bishops share the same grace of episcopal ordination; they are
Successors of the Apostles; and, in communion with the Roman Pontiff, they are
part of the Episcopal College.
The Second Vatican Council has returned to the idea of the Episcopal College as
succeeding the College of Apostles and as the privileged expression of the
Bishops’ pastoral service in communion among themselves and with the Successor
of Peter. As members of this College, all Bishops “are consecrated not just for
one diocese, but for the salvation of the whole world.”[10] By institution and
the will of Christ, they are “to have for the whole Church a solicitude, which,
though it is not exercised by an act of jurisdiction, contributes immensely to
the welfare of the universal Church.”[11]
Each Bishop, legitimately ordained in the Catholic Church, participates in the
fullness of the Sacrament of Orders. As minister of the Lord and Successor of
the Apostles, he ought to work with the grace of the Paraclete so that all the
Church might grow as the family of the Father, Body of the Son and Temple of the
Spirit, in the threefold office which he is called to realize, namely, to teach,
to sanctify and to govern.
The synod is concentrated in a special manner on the Diocesan Bishop and every
aspect of his ministry in the particular Church. He is the living presence of
Christ, “Shepherd and Bishop” of our souls (1 Pt 2:25); he is his vicar in the
particular Church entrusted to him, vicar not only of his Word but of his
Person.[12]
The importance of the synod theme is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the
image of the Bishop has undergone a change in recent decades. Experience teaches
that the faithful increasingly see him amidst his people and closer to them in a
role as father, brother and friend. Furthermore, they see him as more accessible
and living a simpler life. At the same time, his pastoral responsibilities have
multiplied and his ministerial tasks have expanded in a Church increasingly more
attentive to the needs of the world. This has happened to such an extent that
the Bishop appears today weighed down with a variety of ministerial tasks and
becomes oftentimes a sign of contradiction in the defense of truth. As a result,
he must personally be constantly renewed in his pastoral office through a more
in-depth living of communion and collaboration with priests, consecrated persons
and the laity.
Undoubtedly, the Tenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will
provide the opportunity to affirm that the stronger the unity of the Bishops
with the Pope, of the Bishops among themselves and of the Bishops with the
People of God, the richer will be the communion and mission of the Church, the
more effective will be their ministry and the more will that ministry be a
source of solace.
A Renewed Proclamation of the Gospel of Hope
10. The Church looks forward with much hope to the celebration of the upcoming
synod. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, with its many events and the years of
preparation centered on the Trinity, has provided the entire People of God with
the grace of a Holy Year of conversion, reconciliation and spiritual renewal.
The faithful in Rome and the Holy Land, in the presence of the Successor of
Peter, as well as the faithful in the particular Churches gathered around their
Bishops, have lived the joyful experience of a year of mercy and holiness. Many
have asked themselves how the graces and positive experiences of the Great
Jubilee are to be implemented as a new century and millennium begin.
Once again, the Church stands before the world as a sign of hope, particularly
through the witness of various members of the People of God, such as the young
and families, through significant gestures in ecumenism, in the healing of
memories and in requests for pardon as well as through the courageous
remembrance of the witnesses to the faith in the twentieth century.
The appeals for mercy for the imprisoned as well as those for the reduction or
total cancellation of the international debt, afflicting the destiny of many
nations, have been especially forceful and significant.
The Bishops have also had the possibility of living moments of intense communion
and spiritual renewal in their special Jubilee celebrations together with the
Holy Father and in union with the Virgin Mary, like the Apostles gathered in
prayer in the Cenacle at Pentecost.
The Gospel of Christ shows itself today to be the power of life and the Word
which makes people truly human, unites them in a single family and fosters the
well-being of all, regardless of language, race or religion.
11. On the basis of a Christian hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rm 5:5), the
Church advances towards the future with a renewed enthusiasm for a new
evangelization.
Having crossed the threshold of the new millennium, the world now awaits a word
of hope and a light to guide it into the future. The Gospel was, is and will be
a source of freedom, progress, fraternity, unity and peace throughout history,
even in the temporal sphere.[13]
The upcoming Synod of Bishops hopes to offer the Church and the world the
courageous, faithful proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, which opens hearts to
a hope both human and divine. It intends to accomplish this through the witness
of unity, joy and concern for contemporary humanity by the Successors of the
Apostles, gathered in communion with the Holy Father, to whom the Lord himself
has promised his assistance until the close of the age (cf. Mt 28:20).
CHAPTER I
A MINISTRY OF HOPE
Looking at the World with the Heart of the Good Shepherd
12. What attitude must the Bishop adopt to be a servant of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ for the hope of the world?
First of all, he must have a contemplative outlook in facing the world’s
realities, viewing them from the vantage-point of the practical aspects of his
ministry and the concept of communion with the Universal Church and the
particular Church entrusted to his care; then, he must have a compassionate
heart which is capable of entering into communion with the men and women of our
times, for whom he is to be the witness and servant of hope.
The attitude expected of the Bishop is exemplified in a Gospel image. At the
beginning of his ministry, Jesus presents himself as the herald of the Good News
of the Father. He confirms this in his approach to the needs of the people:
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed
and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36).
The Bishop, through the grace of the Holy Spirit who expands and sharpens the
eyes of his faith, relives the sentiments of Christ, the Good Shepherd, as he
faces the anxieties and expectations of today’s world, by announcing a word of
truth and life and by fostering activity which goes to the heart of humanity.
Only in being united to Christ, in being faithful to his Gospel, in being
realistically open to this world and in being loved by God, can the Bishop
become the harbinger of hope.
This is his role for the men and women of our times who, after the fall of false
ideologies and utopias, oftentimes unmindful of the past and overly anxious for
the present, make rather passing, limited plans and find themselves on many
occasions manipulated by economic and political forces. As a result, they need
to rediscover the virtue of hope and possess sound reasons for believing and
hoping, and, in turn, for loving and working beyond the immediate needs of
everyday life. The Bishop is to have a serene regard for the past and a
confident outlook for the future.
The Church–and in her the Bishop as the shepherd of the flock–presents herself,
in conformity with the mind of Jesus, as the witness of the hope which does not
disappoint (cf. Rm 5:5), always mindful of the compelling force which guides her
towards the fulfillment of God’s promises: indeed “God’s love has been poured
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rm 5:5).
The Gospel of Hope has been entrusted to the Church and her Pastors. Hope rests
on the surety of God’s promises; the Father has regenerated us to a living hope
through the resurrection of Christ (cf. 1 Pt 1:3), which is the victory over sin
and death. Consequently, hope rests in the certainty of the abiding presence of
Christ, Lord of history, Father of the age to come (cf. Is 9:6).
Therefore, with trust in God we need to begin and live the third millennium of
Christianity in proclaiming the Gospel of God’s promises.
We find hidden in the Sacred Scriptures and the Church’s Tradition the seeds of
God’s design which must now sprout in the future of individuals and entire
peoples under the action of the Holy Spirit–the experienced weaver of the fabric
of human history–who seeks our collaboration.
Under the Sign of Theological Hope
13. At the beginning of a new century and a new millennium, a theological hope
which trusts totally in God’s promises has an important role to play. The
ten-years of preparation and the spirit of expectation geared towards
celebrating such a significant moment in human history as the year 2000, the two
thousandth anniversary of the birth of Jesus, now take on a symbolic meaning in
looking towards the future. No longer are we striving to reach a goal, but
rather we are poised looking out on a wide horizon. We now have the
responsibility patiently to build the future.
Hope is the driving force in all things new; it is the capacity to dream the
future and to indicate lasting paths by creating new initiatives; it is the
ability to make history through the power of the Gospel, or, at least, to give
it a sense of meaning before the powers of the world set purposes and aims for
the future.
This is the work of hope as Christians faithfully fulfill their task, namely, to
be the soul of the world. In the words of Diognetus, “May Christians be in the
world, what the soul is in the body.”[14] The Church of Jesus is called to be
the inspirer and promoter of history in listening to the deep-seated
expectations and hopes of the men and women of this world.
The hope required of the Bishop in his witness as servant of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is the theological virtue of hope or the theology of hope, united to an
active faith and fruitful love.
On this subject, the Pastoral Directory Ecclesiae Imago has summarily set forth
some characteristics of the ministry of the Bishop which deserve mention in
treating the subject of hope in a God who is always faithful to his promises:
“The Gospel–by which a Bishop lives through faith and which he announces to men
on the Word of Christ–‘guarantees the blessings that we hope for, and proves the
existence of the realities that at present remain unseen’ (Heb 11:1). Relying on
this hope, therefore, the Bishop most firmly expects whatever is best from God
and places the greatest trust in God’s providence, saying with Paul, ‘There is
nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength’ (Phil
4:13). He is mindful of the blessed Apostles and of the ancient Bishops who,
although experiencing great difficulties and facing every kind of obstacle,
still proclaimed the Gospel of God with all boldness (cf. Acts 4:29 and 31;
19:8; 28:31).”
“Hope which ‘is not deceptive’ (Rom 5:5), sharpens the Bishop’s missionary
spirit, and consequently his creativity and initiative. For he knows that he has
been sent by God, the Lord of history (cf. 1 Tim 1:17), to build up the Church
in the place, time, and moment ‘that the Father has decided by his own
authority’ (Acts 1:7); hence, the healthy optimism that animates him and that,
as it were, flows from him into others, especially his co-workers.”[15]
14. Sustained by this theological hope, the Bishop prepares himself to plan,
perceive and, as it were, dream the future, while re-reading the Word of God
under the grace of the Holy Spirit and in ecclesial communion.
The Word of God, made fruitful by the Spirit in the heart of the Bishop united
to his priests and faithful, will always be the perennial fount of inspiration
and recourse in facing the challenges of the future. In the words of Pope Paul
VI, “the Church needs her perennial Pentecost; she needs fire in the heart,
words on the lips, prophecy in the glance.”[16]
The Pope, the Episcopal College, the Bishops of the national and regional
Episcopal Conferences, indeed all the holy People of God have a common vocation
to the same hope (cf. Eph 4:4).
This communion in hope ensures the living presence of Christ and the inspiration
of the Spirit who is to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to completion in human
history.[17]
Communion in hope is to be deepened and shared as the source of inspiration
which is made fruitful through the prayer of the Bishop and through the dialogue
of charity with all the People of God, especially his closest collaborators. In
this way, they can participate in discussing various initiatives and the actual
planning of programs.
The hope of Christians is a driving force for the future. This virtue not only
leaves its mark on the life of humanity, it also plows furrows for planting the
seed of divine promise and for guiding, with God’s hand, future initiatives. The
Church will be an effective sign of hope, if she knows how to be attentive to
the plan of God who guarantees a full future, if she faithfully follows his will
and if she knows how to discern the genuineness of the yearnings of humanity,
yearnings for which she ought to be the interpreter and guide.
Between the Past and the Future
15. The Church crosses the threshold of hope at the beginning of the third
millennium with a particular attention on the humanity of today, sharing with it
“the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of this age, but knowing
she possesses the word of salvation.”[18] Therefore, into what kind of world are
the Bishops sent forth to proclaim the Gospel?
Theological hope, which grows and develops as trust in the promises of God, is
oftentimes purified through waiting, thus becoming more authentic the more it is
tried. Hope is also grounded in the positive signs which spring up from moment
to moment in the Kingdom of God, namely, in this present world directed towards
its final fulfilment in glory.
Hope is remembering; it serves as an anchor, that is, it is fixed in God’s
revelation which manifests not only salvation history but also God’s design and
plan for the future. For this reason, the last book of Sacred Scripture bears
the title, Apocalypse or Revelation. Hope gives to the heart a dynamic energy
which is capable of being re-kindled every day.
It is a matter of “persevering” as exemplified in the Acts of the Apostles (cf.
Acts 1:14; 2:42), when it speaks of the attitude proper to the disciples of
Jesus, intent on living the life of faith each day. It is a solid trust in God,
the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, through the resurrection of his Son,
places the present “today” on the path of the sure fulfilment of his promises.
16. On many occasions, particularly in the last ten years, the magisterium has
described the realities of the present world.
The Synod of Bishops did a similar analysis both in the special continental and
regional assemblies for Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Oceania, and in the
respective post-synodal apostolic exhortations published thus far.[19]
Such an extensive analysis, then, at this time is not needed. It is sufficient
to note that such analyses, in sharing common traits as a result of the
increasing globalization of various aspects, require that attention be given to
problems and solutions at the local level.
The Lineamenta has equally given a general treatment which in part has been
confirmed and enriched by the responses of the Episcopal Conferences.
Lights and Shadows in the World’s Realities
17. The world offers a variety of realities. With a watchful eye and the
compassionate heart of the Good Shepherd (cf. Mt 9:36), the Church cannot avoid
realistically noting–apart from a political, sociological and economic
analysis–signs of a lack of confidence or indeed a desperation in the today’s
world. In response, she offers the consolation and comfort of trust and
liberation in Christ. It is not a passing, weak message of consolation which
gives temporary relief, but one based on the certainty of faith, rediscovered by
hearts capable of love and service and founded on the unified, true vision of
the essentials of personal and social life, without pessimistic or optimistic
bias. In every situation the Church offers the Gospel of Hope.
Enduring problems today require the Church, in exercising her mission, to be the
source of a hope which leads to the continuous renewal of the world and society.
In concrete ways, this is the case also in the ministry of the Bishop in his
particular Church.
18. In many parts of our world, situations of suffering and a lack of hope are
being created by poverty, a lack of freedom, the restricted exercise of human
rights, ethnic conflicts and an underdevelopment which increases the poverty of
entire groups of people.
The mass media continually communicate the many faces of desperation: the faces
of under-nourished and unjustly abused children; the faces of unemployed youth,
condemned to desperation and indifference, an easy prey to ideological
manipulation and moral and spiritual degradation; the faces of women, deprived
of their dignity; the faces of the elderly in need of assistance; the masses of
the poor who, through emigration, are in search of hope for the future; the
faces of refugees in search of a country; and the faces of the indigent,
deprived of their lands.
The unresolved conflicts of the preceding century and millennium have provoked
death and destruction, emigration, poverty, ethnic battles and tribal hate. They
have caused much death and have left deep wounds in body and spirit.
The open wounds of some recent, local conflicts have deeply divided culture and
nationality which are called to be partners in a dialogue of peace.
Occasionally, religious fundamentalism, the enemy of dialogue and peace, arises.
Furthermore, in the more developed nations, great areas of economic and moral
depression often exist and corruption and illegality, even in the political
field, are notably on the rise.
19. The effects of globalization are now being felt through an unrelenting logic
of economic planning inspired by an unstoppable liberalism which is making the
rich, richer and the poor, poorer. Since the poor are so excluded from programs
of development, some speak today of a “New World Dis-Order.” The future is
justly a concern, if entire populations, who belong to the same family of God
and share the same rights, are unable to participate in the just distribution of
common goods. In some cases, indigenous communities are robbed of the riches of
their raw materials and the natural resources of their countries through an
unfair exploitation of territories and populations.
Despite an increasing sensitivity to ecology, even the earth is
suffering–perhaps as never before in human history–from climatic changes in the
ecosystem, thus raising questions about the future of our planet. The
degradation of the environment is a worrying concern. The Church takes it upon
herself to give voice to the true aspirations of humanity in favor of an
ecological balance which does not put at risk our earth and the whole creation
made by the Creator’s hands and given to humanity as the abode of beauty and
balance, a gift and basic resource of all human existence.
Between the Return to the Sacred and Indifference
20. Despite evidence of a religious awakening, a new interest for spiritual
realities and a certain return to the sacred, Pastors look with concern at what
is being defined as a silent, easy abandonment of Church practice by a great
number of people. A culture which lives only for the day is not open to the
transcendent. Even Christians are increasingly looking with an indifferent eye
at the world-to-come and the supernatural aspect of life which makes worldly
existence truly worth living.
Such an attitude finds expression in an individualism separated from Church
communion and sacramental practice. Consequently, people are sometimes reduced
to seek spiritual compensation in alternative religious movements and sects and
in adopting forms of religiosity which are partly an imitation of the noblest
ascetical practices of non-Christian religions. Today, many are content to
practice a non-descript religion lacking any personal association to the true
God of Jesus Christ and to the Church community.
For many Pastors, the lack of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated
life is a source of concern and a troubling vision for the future. This is so
even if the situation is simply viewed in light of an ordinary pastoral program
of evangelization, a suitable sacramental and Eucharistic life, and the care
required for a living faith and Christian practice.
New Ethical Problems on the Horizon
21. The rise of moral relativism is also distressing, since such a culture fails
to place a priority on life and gives it no respect, thereby depriving human
existence of its sacred character, whose beginning and end is bound to the
mystery of the God of life.
However, signs of hope in God the Creator can be seen in the acceptance of the
gift of life, the rearing of children and the duty to promote the values of
human existence in their entirety.
At the same time, in this present moment the deceptive position, namely, that
what is scientifically possible is ethically just, has brought us to a true,
proper biological manipulation, resulting in grave consequences for the person
who is made in the image and likeness of God in Christ, our Life (cf. Jn 1:4;
14:16). In recent years, related problems have come about, casting long shadows
into the future.
The ardent defense by the Church’s magisterium of the dignity of each human
life, from its beginning to its natural end, is also influencing public opinion
and bearing fruit in the sector of world ethics. At stake are the future of
humanity and the dignity of the human person with intangible, inalienable
rights.
22. Today, the crisis in the family and its instability as well as the recent
threats to the family institution are grave dangers for life and the rearing of
children.
In our time, the Church has been consistent in her teaching in favour of life,
matrimony and family life. This ongoing activity can be found in the extensive
documentation from the pontifical magisterium and the other departments of the
Holy See[20] as well as in the regular scheduling of the International Day of
the Family which is providing assistance to spouses for better marriages and a
spirituality for the family.
Emerging Situations in the Church
23. A new situation is emerging in the Church in territories long under
totalitarian regimes. The particular Churches in these areas are experiencing a
new-found freedom of worship and the opportunity to resume apostolic activity.
Vocations are flowering and an initial missionary endeavour is providing
vocations beyond the confines of the particular Churches. The prospects and joy
of a new beginning, the frequent witness of a joyous Catholic spirit and a
fervent faith, unknown in other countries, are giving them hope for a fruitful
future.
At the same time, structural and organizational problems remain, such as the
difficulty of a fraternal dialogue and a real communion and ecumenical
collaboration with other Churches, especially the Orthodox.
The Church continues, however, her task of courageously proclaiming the Gospel
in these countries which are adversely affected by the emptiness left by the
culture of totalitarian regimes. Indeed, teaching programs on freedom and the
new-found communion among all Christians need to be promoted. A proper education
in the faith can help overcome certain devotional practices which are without
sound foundations as well as provide assistance in the efforts of a new
evangelization. Promotional programs are needed towards building a strong faith
and a life of moral conviction, especially considering the aggressive measures
of the sects and the danger of falling–as some lament–into an excessive
consumerism.
24. In the future, the Church of the third millennium will slowly see a shifting
of the center of the Catholic population towards Africa and Asia, where, as
witnessed also in Latin America, young Churches are being established, full of
fervor and vitality and rich in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated
life, a situation which oftentimes helps the scarcity of vocations in the West.
Not to be forgotten are the vast, populous territories of the Asian continent
where many faithful are still unable publically to express their Catholic faith
in communion with the universal Church and its chief Pastor. The Church also
looks to these countries with great hope, recommending herself to the silent
action of the Holy Spirit so that the faithful may be able to express full,
visible ecclesial communion and mutual assistance in making all come to know
Christ, the Saviour.
Signs of Vitality and Hope
25. Among the positive signs in the world as well as in recent synodal
assemblies, perceived at the end of the century and the millennium, we find a
true yearning for peace, the desire for nations to participate in the solution
of possible local conflicts, the growing awareness of human rights, the equal
dignity of nations and the pursuit of a greater unity on the planet through an
effective solidarity at the world level among poorer and richer nations. A ray
of hope can be witnessed in the growing dedication of many to the service of the
poor as well as in volunteer programs in very needy nations. There is also a
growing appreciation of the specific talents of women and an increase in women’s
participation in various responsibilities in society and in the Church.
Where some fears are being raised as a result of the excesses of globalization,
some list positive reactions, such as the various forms of solidarity, the
greater sensitivity in safeguarding the cultural values of peoples and nations,
and the recognition of the need to instil ethical and religious values in those
involved in economics and politics. There also exists in our world a forceful
pursuit of true freedom and a growing sense of communion in opposition to some
individualistic tendencies.
The announcement of the publication of The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of
the Church is a hope-filled sign, in light of the duties to work for the
well-being of all peoples in the social and economic fields.
Among these shadows and lights, some dangerous attitudes are circulating on the
world level. To counter the tendencies towards genetic manipulation and the
disregard for life in the womb, greater attention is being given to human life
and its transcendent value linking it to the God of life. A strong convergence
of ethical values is being sought at the international level, while the danger
of an ecological imbalance is resulting in a keener sense of the value of all
creation.
Towards a New Humanism
26. Globalization rightly stirs a keen desire for personalism and interiority.
Today, the balance between unity and pluralism is considered a major value: a
unity belonging to the design of God who has created one human nature, the
foundation of unity for the family of peoples in its origin and destiny, and
pluralism resulting from the make-up of nations, languages and cultures, all
mirroring the richness of the multi-form wisdom of God (cf. Eph 3:10). In this
context, a reawakening of cultures is also present as a reaction to a
globalization which has a tendency to reduce everything to a common denominator
and undervalue differences. On the contrary, the cultural identity, even in the
exchange of goods, also fosters mutual enrichment.
Hope inspires many acts of communion, collaboration, joint-ventures and generous
volunteer efforts in the lives of people in desperate situations, such as
loneliness, egotism and routine human projects which are often based on the
self-centeredness of persons and entire groups. The resulting values are
integrated in those of God’s great plan through personal, ecclesial and familial
life, where individuals respond according to their vocational call.
In the present-day, people are also searching for life’s meaning and a better
quality of life at all levels, including the spiritual level. A greater
sensitivity to personalism and a communal sense of interpersonal relations are
being displayed through a true communion among persons.
The world today and the Church feel the urgent need for unity, even though the
full authentic “culture” of unity and communion is oftentimes in danger.
The Fruits of the Jubilee
27. The renewal of the Christian life and a sound participation of all in the
new evangelization is continuing at the ecclesial level, especially after the
Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.
Preparations for the Jubilee of the Incarnation, according to the pastoral and
spiritual program set forth in Tertio Millennio Adveniente of John Paul II, have
been lived at the universal level through initiatives in the area of catechesis
and sacramental life. The three-year program dedicated to the contemplation of
the mystery of the Son, Holy Spirit and the Father, along with its specific
emphasis concerning the sacraments (a re-discovery of Baptism, Confirmation and
Penance), theological life (faith, hope and charity) and social ethics, is
bearing fruit.
The Jubilee of the Year 2000, lived in the spirit of the 50th Year as set forth
in the Bible (cf. Lev 25) and its full realization in Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Lk
4:16ff), has truly been a year of spiritual progress. The graces of conversion
are being multiplied, nourishing the hope that this will take place again at the
beginning of the third millennium.
28. Some moments of the Jubilee have had particular significance for the Church
and the world. The World Youth Day provided a strong witness of faith, piety and
ecclesial vitality with the joyous presence and participation of many young
people, coming to Rome from every part of the world, to gather around the Holy
Father. Their presence in the Church is a challenge, requiring initiatives in
the approaching decades towards developing pastoral programs for the young.
Christian youth feel the need for a transparent life of conviction based on the
Gospel.
Under the Guidance of the Spirit
29. The various continental synodal assemblies and the celebration of Pentecost
1998 gave evidence that the Church strongly feels that the Holy Spirit, as in
past epochs, has stirred up new energies in the spiritual and apostolic life and
has bestowed significant charisms, truly adapted to the needs of today’s world,
in the evangelical life and the missionary venture, especially in ecclesial
movements and new communities. This action bodes well for an abundant harvest of
vocations to the priestly life, the consecrated life and the lay life in many
young people desirous of dedicating their lives to the service of the Gospel.
Responding to both their ecclesial character as set forth in the magisterium[21]
and their proper charism, these new realities are, together with those already
existent, the present and the future of the Church in the world.[22]
Towards Converging Paths of Unity
30.Undoubtedly, the new century and millennium find the faithful and the Pastors
of various Churches and Christian communities more united through undeniable
progress in ecumenical dialogue, a precious fruit of the Spirit from the past
century. This dialogue has had its share of difficulties in the last ten years.
However, the resumption of ecumenical contacts in recent years is encouraging
the unyielding commitment of the Church to dialogue with other Churches and
Christian communities.
Some Jubilee events, e.g., the opening of the Holy Door of the Basilica of St.
Paul, the ecumenical commemoration of twentieth century witnesses to the faith,
the trip of the Pope to the Holy Land, together with other recent initiatives,
are signs of a renewed determination on the part of Christians to walk together
in the ways of the Lord.
Interreligious dialogue is entering a new stage in the pursuit of peace and the
acknowledgment of religious and transcendent values. In the first place, mention
must be made of relations with representatives of the People of God of the First
Covenant. Such meetings are a sign of hope at the beginning of the millennium
which many see as an era of great dialogue among the world religions, the
guardians of spiritual values.
Dialogue, understood as the encounter of persons and groups, respecting the
differences in identities and rejecting all irenism and syncretism, is not only
the new name for charity, as stated by Pope Paul VI[23] but, in today’s new
world scene, is also the new name for hope.
A Demand for Spirituality
31.Another sign of hope is people’s great desired for spirituality, which has a
particular force at the present moment and a variety of aspects.
First of all, this desire is manifested as a forceful call to the fundamental
Christian experience of encountering the living Jesus Christ. Such a knowledge
requires the passage from “the faith proclaimed” to “the faith lived.” It also
calls for a dynamic liturgy where a person can experience the goodness of a
merciful God who offers redemption and salvation as the one who is “doctor of
body and spirit.”[24]
Morally speaking, it entails “bringing to life” the Christian experience with
its ethical demands through the stirring of the Spirit. Indeed, Christian
morality “unleashes all its missionary force, when it is carried out through the
gift not only of the Word proclaimed but also of the Word lived. In particular,
the life of holiness which is resplendent in so many members of the People of
God, humble and often unseen, constitutes the simplest and most attractive way
to perceive at once the beauty of truth, the liberating force of God’s love, and
the value of unconditional fidelity to all the demands of the Lord’s law, even
in the most difficult situations.”[25]
Consequently, there is an urgent need for a more spiritual pastoral program
which responds to the demands of the new evangelization. Such a program must be
so equipped as to provide a person with a spiritual encounter with Christ,
similar to that of the Apostles before and after the resurrection and to that of
the first Christians.
The Bishop: Witness of Hope
32.At the beginning of the third millennium of the Christian era, the
afore-mentioned concept of the Church’s mission to the world with its lights and
shadows, determines the testimony required of each Bishop in both the universal
Church and in his particular Church for the sake of the Gospel of Christ for the
hope of the world.
On this basis, the Bishop concretely expresses his spiritual and pastoral
responsibility in his particular Church and in society, where he lives in a
global village of communications as a participant in the life of the entire
planet.
It is impossible to overlook the duty which such a situation creates for an
ordered vision of the Church in the world, requiring that Bishops work for the
common good through word and deed.
Faithful like the Virgin Mary to the Expectations and Promises of God
33.The Church’s hope comes from the Risen Christ, who already possesses victory.
Based on God’s promises, the Church’s hope confidently looks to the future glory
to be received at the end of time.
In the everyday trials of a world which eagerly looks to God for something new,
the Bishop is for his particular Church like Abraham who “in hope believed
against hope” and was fully convinced of the faithfulness of God to fulfill what
he had promised (cf. Rm 4:18-22). The Bishop, then, has a sure trust in the Word
and in God’s designs, as did Mary, the woman of hope, who awaited the fulfilment
of the promises of a faithful God, at Nazareth, at Bethlehem, on Calvary and in
the Cenacle.
The Church’s history is a history of faith and charity; it is also a history of
hope and courage. The Bishop who knows how to be a vigilant harbinger of hope
and God’s sentinel in the darkness of night (cf. Is 21:11) can engender trust in
his flock by forging new paths in the world.
Each Bishop, in placing his faith and hope in God alone (1 Pt 1:21), can make
his own the words of St. Augustine: “Whatever we may be, do not let your hope
rest in our person as such, but in the Person of Christ. I would readily make
little of myself as to speak like a true Bishop; I want to rejoice over you and
not be exalted by you. Without a doubt, if I find any people placing their hope
in my person, I would not commend them for this; they are to be corrected, not
confirmed in their attitude; to be changed, not to be left to continue to do
this... Don’t let your hopes rest in us as persons, don’t let your hopes rest on
men. If we are good, we are ministers; if we are bad, we are also ministers.
But, if indeed we be good, we are being ministers faithful to Christ, really and
truly ministers.”[26]
34.The Church’s ministry in the next millennium is found in this vast venture
which includes the mission of the Bishop as witness and promoter of Christian
hope.
Each of the Church’s Pastors is called to bring God’s presence to everyday life
in a courageous and conscientious manner. The entire episcopal service is a
ministry to lead the People of God and each individual to a “rebirth to a living
hope” (1 Pt 1:3). Consequently, the Bishop needs to direct the entire work of
evangelization in service of hope, above all in young people, who are threatened
by disillusion and pessimism resulting from broken dreams, as well as in the
those who, afflicted by many forms of poverty, look to the Church as their only
defense, because of her supernatural hope.
Each Bishop, faithful to hope, is to watch over this virtue in himself, because
hope is the Easter gift of the Risen Christ. Hope arises from the fact that the
Gospel, which the Bishop is principally commissioned to serve, is a total good
and the focal point of the episcopal ministry. Without this hope, all the
Bishop’s pastoral activity would be fruitless. The secret of his mission rests
on the firm foundation of his theological and eschatological hope. “Of this,”
St. Paul affirms, “you have heard before in the word of the truth, the Gospel
which has come to you” (Col 1:6).
Christian hope begins with Christ and is nourished by Christ. It is
participation in his Paschal mystery and the first-fruits of a similar end,
since, with Christ, the Father “has raised us up with him, and made us sit with
him in the heavenly places” (Eph 2:6).
The Bishop is the sign and minister of this hope. Each Bishop can make his own
the words of Pope John Paul II: “Without hope we would not only be unhappy men
and deserving of pity, but all our pastoral works would be fruitless; we would
not dare to undertake anything. In an unwavering hope rests the secret of our
mission. It is stronger than disappointment and doubt, because its force comes
from a source which is not depleted by our lack of attention or our negligence.
The wellspring of our hope is God himself, who through Christ has conquered the
world once and for all and who today, through us, continues his salvific mission
among men.”[27]
CHAPTER II
THE MYSTERY, MINISTRY AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE BISHOP
The Image of Christ, the Good Shepherd
35.The spiritual image of the Bishop is revealed in many texts in Sacred
Scripture when considered from the standpoint of Christ, the High Priest and
Shepherd of Souls. Passages from both the Old and New Testaments center on the
image of the high priest or shepherd.
All these texts point to Christ as the archetype. He is presented in the Gospel
parable as the shepherd in search of the lost sheep (cf. Lk 15:4-7). He refers
to himself as the “Good” Shepherd of the Flock (cf. Jn 10:11,14,16; Mt 26:31; Mk
14:27). He is acknowledged by the apostolic community with the following titles:
“Shepherd and Guardian of ... Souls” (1 Pt 2:25), “Chief Shepherd” (1 Pt 5:4),
and “Great Shepherd of the Sheep” (Heb 13:20), raised from the dead by the
Father. In the vision of Revelation, the Risen Lord is the Lamb-Shepherd (cf.
Rev 7:17) who joins in himself the reality of the sacrificial Paschal offering
and salvation, and the figure of priest and shepherd from the Old and New
Testaments.
Early Christian iconography liked to represent Christ as the Good Shepherd,
radiant in the splendor of his resurrection, exalted in the liturgy as the Good
Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep and rose from the dead.[28]
Jesus Christ, therefore, is the Shepherd who joins in his person the truth,
goodness and beauty of the gift of himself for the flock. The beauty of the Good
Shepherd consists in the love with which he gives himself for each of his sheep
and the love which creates a knowing and loving relationship with each one.
The Church is the place of encounter with the Good Shepherd, where he makes
himself present, feeds his flock with his Word and sacraments, and guides her
towards the pastures of eternal life through those whom he himself has
constituted, in the Spirit, as shepherds of the flock. The beauty of the
Shepherd shines in the beauty of a Church who loves and serves; a Church who is
the reason of hope for a humanity which is driven by the divine inner stirrings
of the heart towards what is beautiful and saves, as seen in the face of the
Lamb-Shepherd.
36.Christ alone is the Good Shepherd. From him, as from a fount, flows the
pastoral ministry in the Church, entrusted to Peter by Christ (cf. Jn 21:15-17),
a grace perceived as the continuity of the apostolic ministry in guiding and
keeping watch: “Tend the flock of God that is in your charge, not by constraint
but willingly...” (1 Pt 5:2).
The image of the Bishop as shepherd is part of the Christian tradition as
witnessed in certain expressions, gestures and episcopal insignia, all of which
are to be understood in reference to the one and only Shepherd and, through the
grace received from him, done in imitation of his mind and heart.
“To the person (the Bishop) to whom the Lord, the Good Shepherd, has committed
his own powers by the sacrament of the episcopate, also goes the duty of love of
feeding the Lord’s flock. He will in turn respond in great charity with an
earnest good will to spend his life and ministry in the same disposition which
was in Christ Jesus, the Prince of Pastors (cf. 1 Pt 5:4) and the Bishop of our
Souls (cf. 1 Pt 2:25).”[29]
The episcopal ministry becomes in the Church an amoris officium, according to
the words of St. Augustine,[30] a service of unity, communion and mission. This
“ministry of love” always returns to the archetype, Christ, under the title
“Shepherd” and all the expressions which come from it.
11.I. MYSTERY AND GRACE OF THE EPISCOPATE
The Grace of Episcopal Ordination
37.Episcopal ordination confers “the fullness of the sacrament of orders, that
fullness which in the Church’s liturgical practice and in the language of the
Holy Fathers of the Church is undoubtedly called the high priesthood, the apex
of the sacred ministry.”[31] The intimate nature of the mystery and ministry of
the Bishop is expressed in the words and gestures used in the liturgy of
episcopal ordination which ancient tradition has rightly called “natalis
episcopi.”
From Christian antiquity, the image of the Bishop in the Church is described in
the various liturgies of episcopal ordination in the East and West as the moment
in which, through the imposition of hands and the words of ordination, the grace
of the Holy Spirit descends on the Bishop-elect and with the sacred character
imprints, in its fullness, the living image of Christ, Teacher, Shepherd, High
Priest, so that he might act in his name and person.[32]
The Bishop is also anointed with Holy Chrism, making him a participant in the
high priesthood of Christ. In this way, he is able to exercise fully the
ministry of the Word, sanctification and governing. As high priest, the Bishop
is taken from among men and appointed to act on behalf of all in relation to God
(cf. Heb 5:1). The episcopate, then, is not primarily a term of honor but one of
service; it is intended not for showing pre-eminence but for doing good. Indeed,
the words of Lord are intended also for the Bishop: “Let the greatest among you
become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves” (Lk 22:26).[33]
In Communion with the Trinity
38.The Trinitarian dimension of Jesus’ life, which binds him to the Father and
the Spirit as consecrated and sent into the world and is manifested in his
entire being and conduct, has its effect on the personality of the Bishop as the
Good Shepherd, Successor of the Apostles.
This participation in the Trinitarian life and mission is first applied to the
Apostles as the first participants in communion and mission: “As the Father has
loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9; 17, 23); “...As the
Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). Furthermore, Jesus prays for
the disciples so that they might participate in the same Trinitarian love: as
the Father and Son are one, so might the disciples be one (cf. Jn 17:21).
This reference to the Trinity highlights the source of the ministry of the
Bishop. Apostolic succession is not only physical and linked to time; it is also
ontological and spiritual, because of the grace of episcopal ordination. Indeed,
Bishops are sent by the Apostles as their Successors; the Apostles have been
sent by Christ, and Christ has been sent by the Father.[34]
39.The Trinitarian seal of the grace of the episcopate is expressed in a fitting
way in the Roman liturgy of episcopal ordination: “Attend to the whole flock in
which the Holy Spirit appoints you an overseer of the Church of God–in the name
of the Father, whose image you personify in the Church–and in the name of his
Son, Jesus Christ, whose role of Teacher, Priest and Shepherd you undertake–and
in the name of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the Church of Christ and
supports our weakness with his strength.”[35]
This is further manifested through the ordination ritual of the imposition of
hands, a gesture which, according to Irenaeus of Lyons, brings to mind the two
hands of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.[36] Through this action the
Bishop-elect is configured and constituted in the fullness of the priesthood,
just as the gift of the “Spirit of the High Priest” was poured out on Christ and
transmitted to the Apostles, who founded the Church in every part of the
world.[37]
From the Father, through Christ, in the Spirit
40.The Bishop as the image of the Father is based on a very ancient tradition.
Particular reference to this fact comes from the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch
where the Father is said to be the Bishop unseen and the Bishop of all.[38] For
his part, the Bishop ought to be reverenced by all, because he is the image of
the Father.[39] Similarly, an ancient text exhorts: “Love the Bishop, because,
after God, he is your father and mother.[40]
Reference to this paternal dimension is made even today in the ceremony of
episcopal ordination. The Bishop exercises his care of the Holy People of God
with paternal affection, as a real father of a family, so as to guide it, with
the assistance of priests and deacons, in the way of salvation.[41] The
rediscovery of the Church as the Family of God, as seen in the Second Vatican
Council, makes the image of the Bishop as Father particularly meaningful.[42]
Because of his continual union with the person of Christ, the true image of the
Father and manifestation of his presence and mercy, the Bishop, as head and
spouse of the Church entrusted to him, also becomes the living sign of Jesus
Christ through the grace of the sacrament. In his particular Church, he
exercises as priest the ministry of sanctification, worship and prayer; as
teacher, the service of evangelization, catechesis and teaching; and as
shepherd, the task of governing and guiding the people. Each of these ministries
ought to be imbued with those traits characteristic of the Good Shepherd, that
is, charity, knowledge of the flock, care for all, mercy towards the poor,
pilgrims and the needy as well as the pursuit of the lost sheep so as to bring
them back to the one fold of the Church.[43]
All is possible, because the Bishop receives at his ordination the fullness of
the anointing of the Holy Spirit who descended on the disciples at Pentecost,
the Spirit of the High Priest who interiorly equips him, configuring him to
Christ, so that he can be the living continuation of his mystery for the sake of
his Mystical Body.
The Trinitarian understanding of the life and ministry of the Bishop also deeply
characterizes his continual relation to the mystery which shines in the Church
as image of the Trinity and a people gathered in peace and harmony by the unity
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.[44]
The Ecclesial Image of the Bishop
41.The episcopal insignia which the Bishop receives during his episcopal
ordination as an expression of grace and ministry are particularly rich in
Church-related symbolism.
The book of the Gospels, placed over the head of the Bishop, is a sign of a life
totally submitted to the Word of God and spent in preaching the Gospel with the
utmost patience and teaching.
The ring is the symbol of faithfulness, through integrity of faith and purity of
life, towards the Church whom he must watch over as the Spouse of Christ. The
miter recalls episcopal holiness and the crown of glory which the Chief Shepherd
will confer on his faithful servants. The crosier is the symbol of the office of
the Good Shepherd, who watches over and leads with care the flock entrusted to
him by the Holy Spirit.[45]
The pallium, always worn by Bishops in the East and now received by some Bishops
in the West, has various meanings. For Metropolitan Bishops in the West, it is:
a sign of their communion with the Roman Pontiff; a symbol of unity; a
commitment to communion with the Apostolic See; and the bond of charity and
incentive for strength in confessing and defending the faith. As the omophorion
of Bishops in the Eastern Churches, the pallium, from antiquity to the present
day, holds other meanings of great spiritual and ecclesial value. Woven from
wool and decorated with crosses, it is a sign of the Bishop, identified with
Christ the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep and who bears the
lost sheep on his shoulders. Moreover, it stands for his care of all, especially
those who have wandered from the flock. This significance receives support in
both Eastern[46] and Western[47] tradition.
The cross which the Bishop wears around his neck is a powerful sign of his
belonging to Christ, his confession of faith in him and the constant power which
he draws from the Lord’s cross through the gift of life. Far from being a piece
of jewelry or decoration, it represents the glorious Cross of Christ, a sign of
hope, of which St. Paul writes: “But far be it from me to glory except in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and
I to the world” (Gal 6:14).
These brief indications highlight the symbolism which is part of the solemn
character of episcopal ordination.
The symbolism of the above elements merge in the oneness or unity which exists
among those who have received episcopal ordination. In communion with the Roman
Pontiff, all Bishops are members of the Episcopal College and with the Holy
Father share concern for the entire Church.[48]
The Spirit of Holiness
42.Associated with the episcopal images expressed in the words and rites of
ordination, is the Bishop’s call to holiness, a call which requires its own
spirituality, its own program geared towards holiness and its own evangelical
perfection. Both Eastern and Western rituals confirm this tradition, attributing
to the Bishop the fullness of holiness so as to live before God and in communion
with the faithful.
The ancient Eucologion of Serapion expresses this idea in the prayer of the
ordination of the Bishop: “God of truth, make your servant an effective Bishop,
a holy Bishop in the succession of the Holy Apostles; and give him the grace of
the divine Spirit who has been given to all faithful servants, prophets and
patriarchs.”[49]
This call to holiness is living in pastoral charity, in uninterrupted service of
the Lord, in offering holy gifts, in the ministry of the forgiveness of sins, in
pleasing the Lord in meekness and purity and the Bishop’s offering himself as a
sweet-smelling sacrifice.[50]
Given the above, the Bishop is called to a special kind of holiness in virtue of
the gift received and the ministry of sanctification entrusted to him.
II. SANCTIFICATION IN HIS MINISTRY
The Spiritual Life of the Bishop
43.In common with life in Christ according to the Spirit, the spiritual life of
the Bishop has its basis in the grace of the Sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation. Since he is a “christifidelis,” born again in Christ, the Bishop
is enabled to believe in God, hope in him and love him through the theological
virtues, and to live and act under the movement of the Holy Spirit by means of
his holy gifts. In this way, he is no different from any other disciple of the
Lord, who has been made part of his body, has become a temple of the Spirit and
lives his Christian vocation conscious of his relationship with Christ as
disciple and apostle. St. Augustine described the situation in his well-known
phrase addressed to the faithful: “For you I am a Bishop, with you I am a
Christian.”[51]
Even the Bishop, then, as baptized and confirmed, is nourished by the Holy
Eucharist and stands in need of the Father’s forgiveness, because of human
weakness. Moreover, together with all priests, he is also to follow a specific
spiritual program, since he is called to holiness through Sacred Orders.[52]
44.Given the unique ministry of the Bishop, however, he requires a spirituality
particularly his own, one geared to his living the faith in hope and charity as
evangelizer, liturgist and guide in the community. It is a Church-centred
spirituality, because each Bishop is conformed to Christ, Shepherd and Spouse,
through his loving and serving the Church.
It is impossible to love Christ and live in intimacy with him without loving the
Church whom Christ loves. Indeed, the more he possesses the Spirit of God the
more he loves the Church, “one in all and all in each one; simple in her
plurality for the unity of faith, multiple in each for the bond of charity and
the variety of charisms.”[53] A spirituality totally directed towards loving as
the Lord Jesus loved, that is, even to the cross, is born only from a love for
the Church, that is, loved by Christ to the point where he gave his life for her
(cf. Eph 5:25).
This spirituality, then, is one of ecclesial communion, striving towards
upbuilding the Church with vigilance, so that each word and deed, each act and
decision in his pastoral service, might be a sign of the dynamic life of the
Trinity in communion and mission.
A Genuine Pastoral Charity
45.A key element in the spirituality proper to the Bishop is the exercise of his
ministry, interiorly nourished by faith, hope and especially pastoral charity
which is the soul of his apostolic activity. He does this in a dynamic of
pastoral “pro-existentia”, that is, in living for God and others, as Christ did,
striving to do the Father’s will and being totally at the service of others in
self-giving each day, through a free gift of love, in communion with the
Trinity. Lumen Gentium states: “The shepherds of the flock ought to carry out
their ministry with holiness, eagerness, humility and courage in imitation of
the eternal High Priest, the Shepherd and Guardian of our Souls. They will
thereby make this ministry the principal means of their own sanctification.
Those chosen for the fullness of the priesthood are gifted with sacramental
grace, enabling them to exercise a perfect role of pastoral charity through
prayer, sacrifice and preaching, as through every form of a Bishop’s care and
service. They are enabled to lay down their life for their sheep fearlessly,
and, made a model for their flock (cf. 1 Pt 5:3), can lead the Church to
ever-increasing holiness through their own example.”[54]
The Pastoral Directory Ecclesiae Imago devoted an entire chapter to specifying
the virtues essential for a Bishop.[55] In addition to the supernatural virtues
of obedience, perfect continence for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty, pastoral
prudence and strength, an appeal is made for the theological virtue of hope.
Drawing strength from this hope, the Bishop confidently awaits every good from
God and places his utmost trust in divine Providence, “mindful of the blessed
Apostles and of the ancient Bishops who, although experiencing great
difficulties and facing every kind of obstacle, still proclaimed the Gospel of
God with all boldness.”[56]
Since the first centuries of Christianity to the present, many Bishops have been
models of theological hope and pastoral charity. In their way of life they have
found the means to unite the preaching ministry and catechesis, the celebration
of the sacred mysteries and prayer, and apostolic zeal and an intense love for
the Lord. These Bishops have founded Churches, reformed customs and defended the
truth. They have been courageous witnesses through martyrdom and have left their
mark on society through initiatives of charity and justice, and acts of courage,
for the sake of their people, in the face of the powerful of this world.[57]
The Ministry of Preaching
46.The Bishop’s spirituality of ministry, grounded in pastoral charity and
expressed in the three-fold office of teaching, sanctifying and governing, is
not lived in isolation from his ministry but in union with it.
Above all, the Bishop is a minister of the truth which saves, not only in
teaching and instructing but also in leading people to hope and, therefore,
advancing in the path of hope. Indeed, if the Bishop, then, wishes to show
himself to his people as a sign, witness and minister of hope, he has to nourish
himself at the Word of Truth, in total adhesion and full disposition to it,
after the example of Mary, the Mother of God, who “believed that there would be
a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45).
Since, then, this divine Word is contained and expressed in Sacred Scripture,
the Bishop is constantly to have recourse to it in diligent reading and accurate
study, so that it might be of assistance in his ministry.[58] He is to do this,
not only because he would be a useless preacher of the Word of God exteriorly,
if he did not listen to it from within himself,[59] but also because by not
doing so, he would empty his ministry of hope. Indeed, The Bishop uses the
Scriptures to nourish his spirituality so as truly to exercise his ministry as
evangelizer. Only in this way will he be able, like St. Paul, to recommend
himself to the faithful in saying: “by steadfastness and by the encouragement of
the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rm 15:4).
The choice of the Apostles in the early days of the Church is repeated in the
episcopal ministry: “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of
the Word” (Acts 6:4). Origen wrote: “These are the two activities of the Priest:
both learning from God, by reading the Sacred Scriptures and often meditating on
them, and teaching the people. But, let him teach the very things that he
himself has learned from God!”[60]
One Who Prays and Teaches Prayer
47.The Bishop is also one who prays, one who intercedes for his people, through
the faithful celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours over which he is to
preside, at times, with his faithful.
Conscious that he will be able to teach prayer to his faithful only through a
personal prayer life, the Bishop has recourse to God by repeating with the
psalmist: “I hope in your Word” (Ps 119:114). Indeed, prayer is the moment in
which hope is expressed or, as St. Thomas insists, prayer “mirrors hope.”[61]
The ministry of prayer in pastoral and apostolic activity is particularly
related to the role of Bishop. The Bishop exercises this ministry of prayer
before God on behalf of people, in imitation of Jesus who prayed for his
Apostles (cf. Jn 17) and after the example of Paul who prayed for his community
(cf. Eph 3:14-21; Phil 1: 3-10). The Bishop is to bear the whole Church within
himself in prayer, interceding in a special manner for the people entrusted to
his care. Imitating Jesus in the choice of his Apostles (cf. Lk 6: 12-13), he is
also to submit to the Father his pastoral initiatives and present his hopes and
expectations to him through Christ in the Spirit. The God of hope will then fill
him with every joy and peace, because he abounds in hope through the Holy Spirit
(cf. Rm 15:13).
The Bishop is also to pursue occasions in which he can hear the Word of God and
pray together with his priests, the permanent deacons, seminarians and
consecrated men and women of his particular Church. Wherever and whenever
possible, he is to do the same also with the laity, particularly with those in
groups associated in a common apostolic activity.
In this way, the Bishop fosters the spirit of communion and sustains the
spiritual life of his diocese, showing himself to be the “teacher of perfection”
in his particular Church, whose duty is to “foster holiness among his clerics,
religious and laity according to the special vocation of each.”[62] At the same
time, he brings the bonds, existing between the various states in the Church
over which he presides and is the visible center of unity, to their divine
source, thereby strengthening them in the communion of prayer.
The Bishop is also to seek similar moments of spiritual encounter with his
brother Bishops, above all, with those of the same province or ecclesiastical
region. Such occasions not only express the joy of living together as brothers
(cf. Ps 133:1) but also manifest and foster the fellowship of the Episcopal
College.
Nourished by the Grace of the Sacraments
48.The effectiveness of the pastoral guidance of the Bishop and his witness to
Christ, Hope of the World, depends in a great part on the genuine character of
his following of the Lord and living in friendship with him.
Holiness alone is the prophetic proclamation of renewal which the Bishop
anticipates in his own life by drawing close to the very end to which he is
leading his faithful. In his spiritual journey, however, he experiences, like
every Christian, the necessity of conversion by reason of his consciousness of
his own weaknesses, his own discouragement and his own sins. But, since, as St.
Augustine preached, the hope of pardon is granted to the one who has admitted
his sin,[63] the Bishop is to have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance. Whoever
hopes to be a child of God and to see him makes himself pure as the heavenly
Father is pure (cf. 1 Jn 3:3).
Even the Apostles, to whom the Risen Christ communicated the gift of the Holy
Spirit for the remission of sins (cf. Jn 20:22-23), needed to receive from the
Lord the word of peace which brings reconciliation and the entreaty of a
penitent love which makes whole (cf. Jn 20:19-21; 21:5ff).
It is undoubtedly a sign of encouragement for the People of God to see that the
Bishop is the first to avail himself of the Sacrament of Penance, especially at
particular moments, e.g., when he presides at a communal service with the
individual celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.
The Bishop, together with all the People of God, nourishes his hope also from
the liturgy. Indeed, the Church, when she celebrates the earthly liturgy,
experiences in hope a foretaste of the liturgy of the heavenly Jerusalem towards
which she advances as a pilgrim and where Christ is seated at the right hand of
God, “a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man
but by the Lord” (Heb 8:2).[64]
49.All the Church’s Sacraments are the memorial of the words, deeds and mystery
of the Lord, sacred signs of salvation, accomplished by Christ once and for all,
and an anticipation of its full possession, to be given at the end of time.[65]
This is particularly true in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Until the Second
Coming, however, the Church celebrates them as efficacious signs in expectation,
supplication and hope.
In both the East and West, the spirituality of the episcopal ministry is linked
to the celebration of the sacred mysteries, over which the Bishop presides and
celebrates, together with his priests, deacons and the People of God.
The variety of rites in the Church and their specific character, in both the
East and West, are an essential part the People of God; they confer on the
Church her identity and are the wellspring of a rich ecclesial spirituality.
Therefore, the Bishop as high priest of his people is not only intently to
celebrate the sacred mysteries, but to make of the celebration of them a genuine
school of spirituality for the people. He is to be assisted in this task by a
knowledge of theology and the liturgical practices proper to a Bishop, as they
appear in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum.[66]
Bishops of the Eastern Churches, in fidelity to the rich liturgical patrimony of
their particular celebrations, will be able to exercise their ministry in the
Church in full harmony with the spiritual values of their respective rites.[67]
As High Priest in the Midst of His People
50.Some liturgical actions in the presence of the Bishop have particular
significance. First and foremost is the Chrism Mass, during which the Oil of the
Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick are blessed and Holy Chrism is consecrated.
This liturgy is the highest manifestation of the local Church who celebrates the
Lord Jesus, Eternal High Priest and Sacrificial Victim. For the Bishop, it is a
moment of great hope, since he gathers the diocesan presbyterate around him so
that together they can look to Jesus, the High Priest and Easter joy. In this
way, they relive the sacramental grace of Orders by renewing the promises of
their ordination day which give special meaning to their priestly ministry in
the Church. On this unique occasion in the liturgical year, the People of God,
beset by various concerns, are stirred to hope through their witnessing the
strengthening of the bonds of ecclesial communion.
Added to this celebration is the solemn liturgy of ordination to the priesthood
and to the diaconate. The Bishop sees in the reception from God of new
collaborators in Orders and in his episcopal ministry a favorable response from
the Spirit, Donum Dei and Dator Munerum, to his prayer for an abundance of
vocations and to his hope for a Church still more resplendent in her ministry.
Similar things can be said for the administration of the Sacrament of
Confirmation, in which the Bishop is the primary minister and, in the Latin
Church, the ordinary minister.
This sacrament of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which often requires a
significant commitment of time by Pastors and serves as an occasion for making a
pastoral visit to his parishes, provides the Bishop with a moment of intense
ministerial spirituality and communion with his faithful, especially the young.
The fact that this sacrament is administered by the diocesan Bishop shows that
one of the effects of the sacrament is to strengthen the bonds uniting people to
the mystery of Pentecost, to the Church of God in her apostolic origin and to
the local community as well as to empower those who receive the Spirit to
participate in the mission of bearing witness to Christ.[68]
A Spirituality of Communion
51.A sign of a strong spirituality of communion and an element of great value in
the holiness and sanctification of the Bishop is his communion with priests,
deacons, consecrated persons and the laity, through personal encounters or
various meetings. His words of exhortation and his spiritual message can foster
and guarantee the active, sanctifying presence of Christ in the midst of his
Church and the flow of the graces of the Spirit, which create a particular
witness to unity and charity.
To accomplish this, it is important that the Bishop animate and promote, through
his personal presence and instruction, the “moments of the Spirit” which foster
the growth of the spiritual life, such as retreats, spiritual exercises and
spiritual workshops, using also the means of social communication which have the
potential for reaching people who do not frequent the Church.
The Bishop also needs to know how to take advantage of the ordinary means of the
spiritual life, such as spiritual counsel, friendship and fraternal communion,
so as to avoid the risk of separation and the danger of discouragement in the
face of problems.
The Bishop will thus be able to exercise and animate a spirituality of communion
with the various persons who work in pastoral programs through listening,
collaboration and the responsible delegation of tasks and ministries.
A particular way in which the Bishop keeps this spirituality alive is through
his communion, in an affective and effective way, with the Pope and other
Bishops by prayer and a spirit of fraternity.
The Bishop is not alone in his ministry; he is to give and receive that
fraternal charity which flows from his relationships with his brothers in the
episcopate in a true exercise of the mutual love commanded of the Apostles by
Christ (cf. Jn 13:34; 15, 12-13), which is manifested in a sharing of prayer,
spiritual and pastoral experiences and discernment.
Important occasions in which Bishops can exercise communion and pastoral charity
are: dialogue and sharing, spiritual retreats and moments of relaxation.
Animator of Pastoral Spirituality
52.The Bishop himself is called to be in the midst of the people as a promoter
and animator of a pastoral program geared to holiness and as spiritual master of
his flock, through his style of life and credible witness in word and deed.
The Bishop’s call to holiness demands that he also foster the universal call to
holiness in his particular Church. For this reason, he is to promote the
spirituality and holiness of the People of God through specific initiatives
which take up traditional and recent charisms as a sign of the richness of the
Spirit of holiness.
In Communion with the Holy Mother of God
53.The special maternal presence of Mary offers particular encouragement to the
Bishop in his spiritual life, where Mary is honored in a personal way through a
relationship of genuine filial love.
Each Bishop is called to relive the Lord’s entrustment of Mary to the disciple,
John, at the foot of the cross (cf. Jn 19: 26-27). He is also to mirror the
wholehearted, persevering prayer of the disciples with Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, from the Ascension to Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:14). All Bishops in fraternal
communion are entrusted to the maternal care of Mary in communion, in hope and
in the ministry.
Such practices will result in a sound Marian devotion of intense communion with
the Holy Mother of God in the Bishop’s liturgical ministry of sanctification and
worship, in his teaching of doctrine, in his personal life and in his governing.
This style of acting after the example of Mary in the exercise of the episcopal
ministry has its basis in the association of the Church with Mary.
III. THE SPIRITUAL ITINERARY OF THE BISHOP
A Necessary Spiritual Itinerary
54.In a life of faithfulness to one’s vocation, Christian spirituality has its
stages, trials and unexpected occurrences. The seasons of life and the constant
striving towards perfection and personal holiness, by God’s design, assist the
Bishop to follow a true and proper spiritual itinerary in his ministry. In the
midst of the joys and trials–not lacking in the life of the Bishop–he will live
not only his personal history but that of his people. He goes ahead of his
flock, leading it in faithfulness to Christ through a life of witness to the
end.
Animated by theological hope, he can and ought to live every moment with a
serene trust, even when circumstances call for submitting his letter of
resignation from office. Even in retirement, he is to continue, to the very end,
to live in a fitting way the spirit of his episcopal ministry through prayer and
other tasks.
With the Spiritual Realism of Everyday Life
55.Spiritual realism also teaches the Bishop how he ought to live his vocation
to holiness in light of his human weaknesses, his many duties, the unforeseen
happenings of everyday life and the many personal and institutional problems. At
times, weighed down by many responsibilities, he risks being overwhelmed by
difficulties and unable to find appropriate responses and solutions.
Each day, the Bishop experiences the import of life and history.
Responsibilities and the sharing of people’s problems and joys also have their
impact. At times, he will be subject to the pressures of the social
communications’ media, because of phenomena involving the Church and the defense
of true doctrine and morality; at other times, he will face unjust accusations
or problems of a social character.
In all these cases, he needs to cultivate a serene tenor of life which fosters
mental, psychic and emotional balance and allows him to be able to maintain a
social rapport, to accept persons and their problems, to be the intermediary in
the happy or adverse situations of his people, who look to him for the maturity
and goodness of a father and spiritual master.
The Bishop needs to have courage in the trying aspects of his ministry, in
bearing the cross with dignity and experiencing the glory of serving in
communion with the Crucified yet Glorious Christ.
The Divine and Human in Harmony
56.The Bishop is called to cultivate a spirituality patterned after the
humanitas of Jesus in which he can express the divine and human aspects of his
ordination and mission. In this way, he can maintain a balance in his duties:
liturgical celebrations and personal prayer, pastoral planning, concentration
and repose, just relaxation and a congruous time for vacation, and study and
ongoing theological and pastoral formation.
The Bishop’s care of his physical, mental and spiritual health and an
equilibrium in life are also acts of love for the sake of the faithful and a
guarantee of a greater openness to the inspiration of the Spirit and a greater
willingness to follow his guidance.
Sustained by his spirituality, the Bishop acquires peace of soul and deep
communion with the Trinity who have chosen and consecrated him. In the grace
assured him by God, he will know each day how to exercise his ministry as a
witness of hope, while being attentive to the needs of the Church and the world.
Indeed, each day the Bishop renews his trust in God and boasts as the Apostle
“in our hope of sharing the glory of God....knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope...” (Rm
5:2-4). Hope also brings joy; indeed, a Christian joy, which is a joy of hope
(cf. Rm 12:12) and also the object of hope. The Bishop bears witness to a
Christian joy which is born of the cross. He ought not only to speak of joy but
also “to hope in joy” and bear witness to it before his people.[69]
Faithfulness to the End
57.The Bishop will be patient and persevering in hope in the course of his
ministry, when he submits to trials on account of sickness, or when he is led by
the Lord to give his life as an offering for his flock, or when he is called to
render testimony to Christ in difficult situations of persecution and martyrdom,
not a rare happening in the past or present.
Even these will be invaluable opportunities for the people entrusted to the
Bishop’s care to know that their Pastor is following the Crucified Christ in his
total gift of self.
The people will also benefit from the example of the Bishop who, seriously ill,
receives the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Viaticum in a
solemn ceremony in the presence of the clergy and people.[70]
In the last act of witness in his earthly life, the Bishop will have an
opportunity to teach the faithful that nothing can overcome hope and that the
pain of the present moment is eased by the hope of future glory.
In the final moment of his exodus on earth to the Father, he will be able to
take up and re-state the purpose of his ministry in the Church, namely, that of
indicating the eschatological goal to the Church’s Children, just as Moses on
Mount Nebo showed the promised land to the Sons of Israel (cf. Deut 34:1ff).
Consequently, even the end of the Bishop’s spiritual itinerary, in his death and
funeral in the cathedral, is to be a moment of great spiritual value for the
life of the faithful and a hymn of the Resurrection of the Lord who welcomes his
faithful servants. On such an occasion, the Bishop can leave an inspirational
gift to the Church by writing a spiritual testament and can show himself to the
people as a brother and friend, alongside his many predecessors.
The Example of Bishop Saints
58.In his spiritual itinerary, the Bishop is encouraged by the great number of
Pastors who, starting with the Apostles, have left their example in the life of
the Church in every time and place. It would be difficult to list all these
illustrious models who stand out in the Church, whose holiness has been or will
be acknowledged by the Church. Their names and faces can easily be seen in the
life of the Universal Church and the local Churches and also in the celebrations
of the liturgical year or in the readings of the liturgy of the hours.
We recall the Bishop-Saints who from the beginning of the Church have attained
holiness in life through preaching and wisdom and through a lived understanding
of the pastoral and social sense of the Gospel. Some have borne witness in
martyrdom or have founded Churches which rejoice in them as patron saints.
Some Pastors stand out because of their doctrine or their specific contribution
at ecumenical councils or their achievement of reform and renewal through their
wisdom. Many are missionary Bishop-Saints who carried the Gospel to new lands
and organized the life of the local emerging Churches. Many–even in our
day–witnessed to the faith and paid for their faithfulness to the Catholic
Church and communion with the see of Peter through imprisonment, exile and other
kinds of suffering. Others, in difficult circumstances, have given their lives
for their flock as defenders of human and religious rights.
Spiritual communion with these Pastors is a reason for hope and a source of
apostolic vigor. In their lives, each Bishop sees the grace and strength of the
Holy Spirit and the degree of faithfulness to which he is called in his pastoral
ministry.
CHAPTER III
THE EPISCOPATE:
THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNION AND
MISSION IN THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH
Friends of Christ, Chosen and Sent by Him
59.The words of Jesus at the Last Supper, especially those recorded by St. John
in Chapter 15 of his Gospel, concern the call of the Apostles to communion and
mission. Jesus speaks of the vine and the branches, using a biblical figure
which clearly expresses not only the necessity of communion but also
fruitfulness in mission. Although the words of Jesus have an ecclesial,
Eucharistic meaning applicable to all the faithful, they are intended primarily
for the circle of Apostles and, consequently, for their Successors.
Jesus’ discourse on the vine and the branches points to the dynamic work of the
Trinity in communion and mission. The Father is the vine dresser; Christ is the
true vine; the interior sap of communion and fruitfulness is the Holy Spirit who
gives life to the branches united to the vine which is destined to give abundant
and lasting fruit. At the center of this parable is found the fundamental
teaching that the disciples of Jesus are called to remain in vital communion
with him and with his word and commandments and to grow, through God’s pruning,
and bear fruit in abundance (cf. Jn 15:1-10).
This leads to the need of communion with Christ and, in him, with the Father and
the Spirit in the mystical vine, symbolic of the Church.
“Without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). In keeping with the meaning of the
parable of the vine, Jesus tells his disciples that communion with him is
remaining faithful to the divine friendship: “You are my friend, if you do what
I command you” (Jn 15:14). Through friendship with Christ, they come to a
knowledge of the secrets of the Father and receive the gift of a life “even unto
death” and a mutual communion in love. Continuing his mandate from the Father,
Jesus, for his part, chooses his disciples and sends them out in mission: “You
did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear
fruit and that your fruit should abide” (Jn 15:16). For their part, the
disciples are called to be faithful to the Word and mission.
60.As Christ’s friend, disciple and apostle, the Bishop is a living branch
grafted on the vine which is Christ and bears in himself the personal and
ministerial call to communion and mission.
The Bishop’s identity in the Church is grounded in the dynamic action of
apostolic succession understood as not only the giving of authority but the
extension of Trinitarian communion and mission. Since the Bishop is chosen by
the Lord, called to a constant communion with him and sent forth into the world,
he is identified with the Person of Jesus in the transmission of divine life, in
the communion of love and in the sacrifice of his life.
I. THE EPISCOPAL MINISTRY IN AN ECCLESIOLOGY OF COMMUNION
In the Church, Image of the Trinity
61.In its theological teachings, the Second Vatican Council described the Church
as the place where the mysteries of faith are found, giving particular emphasis
to the central theme of communion. Indeed, the Church is defined at the outset
of the Constitution Lumen Gentium as “a sacrament or sign of intimate union with
God and of the unity of all humanity.”[71]
Therefore, the document of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of
1985 has rightly affirmed: “the ecclesiology of communion is the central and
fundamental concept in the documents of the Council.”[72] The concept of
communion is “at the heart of the Church’s understanding of herself”[73] and
always involves a double dimension: the vertical and the horizontal, communion
with God and communion among men, the gift of the Trinity and the duty of faith
and love, and the visible and the invisible.[74]
Having its foundation in the Word of God and the sacraments, especially the
Eucharist, ecclesial communion is expressed in faith, founded on hope, animated
by charity and grounded in the unity of the ministry of teaching and ruling by
the Successor of Peter and the Bishops. In this way, it possesses a force
towards unity and a dynamic energy in mission. Like the mystery of the Trinity,
which is communion and mission for the salvation of the world, the Church, the
living image of the Trinity and possessor of the power of the Spirit, is the
convocation of a people (ekklesìa) and the manifestation of a mission (epiphania)
for the salvation of the world.
The Church is to be always and everywhere, in a growing measure, the
participation and sacrament of Trinitarian love for the salvation of the world.
Consequently, she has the power of the Spirit who is, in the Trinity, the
principle of communion and mission in love.
62.The Church, therefore, is the mystery-sacrament in which everything
converges, namely, evangelization and catechesis, the celebration of the
mysteries of the faith, ecclesial spirituality, the life of charity of
Christians and missionary activity and witness. Only from an authentic ecclesial
perspective can the moral duties, pastoral programs and a lived spirituality be
understood.
Communion and mission enrich each other. The force of communion makes the Church
grow in extension and depth. At the same time, mission makes communion grow,
extending it outwards in concentric circles, until it reaches everyone. Indeed,
the Church spreads into various cultures and introduces them to the Kingdom,[75]
so that what comes from God can return to him. For this reason, it has been
said: “Communion leads to mission, and mission itself to communion.”[76]
Communion is the Church’s very being and recalls the goal of all charisms to
agape and to communion in unity, in the same plan of salvation and the same
ecclesial activity.
The unity of the Church as communion and mission is not only the essence of her
mystery and her task in the world, it is also the guarantee and seal of her
divine action. In other words, everything comes from the plan of God as Trinity,
who in his unity is the origin and final goal of all things, according to the
vision of salvation history which concerns humanity and all creation.
In an Ecclesiology of Communion and Mission
63.In our times, unity is a sign of hope concerning peoples and human endeavours
towards reconciliation for a better world. Unity is also a sign and credible
witness of the authenticity of the Gospel. As a result, the unity of the Church,
especially that of all disciples of Christ, is also an urgent need in our world,
so that the world may believe (cf. Jn 17:21).
The Trinit