THE TABLET AUGUST 19, 2006
Successors to the Apostles

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The three candidates for Episcopal Ordination---Bishops-elect Guy A. Sansaricq, Octavio Cisneros and Frank J. Caggiano---and myself spent this week in preparation for their ordination to the episcopacy on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, August 22.  I ask your prayers as we complete the retreat and prepare for the ordination itself.
 

A retreat is mandatory before ordination to the diaconate, priesthood and episcopacy.  It has been my custom to spend a day of recollection with priests prior to their ordination.  Since these are the first Bishops that I will ordain, I felt that spending the retreat with them and directing the retreat would be a good way to prepare for the ceremony of ordination.

I chose the theme of “The Successors of the Apostles, Bishops in the Church.”  Many conferences began by explaining the origin of apostolic ministry, and continued by discussing the individual Apostles to whom these new Bishops would be successors. Fortunately, Pope Benedict XVI recently began speaking about apostolic ministry and the lives of the individual Apostles in his weekly audiences.  It was a happy coincidence that I discovered this, since I had for a long time wanted to research the lives of the Apostles.

In many ways, we know little about the Apostles, and yet we know something about all of them.  Each one of them can teach bishops, clergy, religious as well as the laity something about the following of Christ.  They were the first to follow the Lord, and their calling is described to us in the New Testament.  The names are reported for posterity and their deeds are always seen in relationship to life in Jesus Christ.  The fact that we know comparatively little about some of the Apostles is that the New Testament was not a biography of Jesus Christ or certainly was not one of the Apostles.  All the deeds of the Apostles in some way support the mission of Christ the Lord.

One question always intrigued me about being called to be a successor of the Apostles. I wondered to myself which Apostle I was successor to, which was I more like.  Fortunately, the theology of Karl Rahner, one of the great theologians of our age, provided clarity for me in a brief monologue entitled:  “Bishops: Their Status and Function.”  It was written in 1963. I kept it my library all these years not knowing that some day it would be of service.  (One interesting note: the price was 65 cents at that time.) 

Rahner says the Bishops are successors of the College of Apostles and form now the new Episcopal College.  This gives some consolation. We recognize that as Bishops and all followers of Christ, we succeed to the apostolic ministry to which all of us are called, some by the Sacrament of Orders and others through Baptism and Confirmation. 

The allocutions of Pope Benedict XVI during his weekly audiences are truly marvelous catechetical works.  They are easily available on the Vatican Web site and also on several news services, including Zenit.  Our Holy Father speaks with such clarity and conviction that it is hard to misunderstand what he says, especially regarding apostolic ministry.  Without apostolic ministry seen as service, the Church cannot prevail. 

In one of his talks he responds to a question posed by a journalist regarding the totalitarian structures of the Church and how can the Church speak of communion and democracy when it holds onto totalitarian structures.  The Holy Father goes on to explain hierarchy, which is a word that does not mean sacred rule, but rather sacred origin.  He says, and I quote:  “When the role of episcopacy and papacy is understood in terms of rule, then things are truly wrong and distorted.  No, the episcopacy, in fact all ministry and apostolates in the Church, calls for service.”

The time spent this week with Bishops-elect Sansaricq, Cisneros and Caggiano was time well spent for me, and I hope for them, that they might understand better the apostolic ministry to which they are called and the lives of the Apostles who are the foundation of the Church.  The Apostles were called to be witnesses, to give their lives in testimony, most of them in martyrdom, to the presence of Jesus Christ in the world.  All needed to be witnesses to His Resurrection. So too each Christian is called to follow in that pattern, to give witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the world today, so that others might come to faith. 

As we look forward to the Episcopal Ordination on Tuesday, I ask for your prayers. Launching these three new Bishops into their episcopal service is truly an exercise of putting out into the deep.  They are called to put out into the deep in teaching, sanctifying and governing, as the 2003 document of Pope John Paul II, “Pastores Gregis,” tells us. 

Although seating in Our Lady of Angels Church is limited (tickets will be required for admission), the proceedings will be available for all to see on The Prayer Channel. Join us in prayer, in spirit and through the miracle of television in witnessing to this marvelous ordination.

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