A tremendous gift,
a terrible burden

A PRIEST-FRIEND of mine has just been appointed bishop. The news struck him like lightning.

Though he suspected for sometime that something like that was about to happen, when it did he still felt quite unprepared for it.

And I could understand why. Being a bishop may be seen as a tremendous gift. And in a way, it is. This is what people generally see in developments like this. They think it is like a promotion, a form of recognition of some achievement.

But it is actually a terrible burden! Becoming a bishop is nothing other than a call to greater responsibility. He is not one bit more or better than an ordinary priest, or even an ordinary faithful. He is simply being asked to serve in different way -- and what a way!

For being a bishop is not a gift only to the one who receives it, but also for the whole Catholic Church, for all men.

While every Christian is called to become another Christ, a bishop is called to become another Christ as head of the church. On him depends the edification of the church, and that is no simple thing at all!

Becoming a bishop will depend on a certain grace that the recipient gets through a sacrament. It is kind of invisible and automatic thing that simply happens through certain actions and words during the ordination.

But that sacramental ordination would require of him a more total -- if that is still possible -- self-giving to God and all men. In truth, he has to be nothing less than Christ as head of the church.

He is not expected simply to be a good manager, or some kind of administrator. He is not even just a father image to people, nor a good event organizer.

It would be good if he could have all these qualities and charisms. But much more is expected of him. He is not simply a clever and smart guy, with intelligence and charm.

He has to be first, last and always another Christ who nourishes the people of God with the truth and love, and brings them to their eternal salvation, while journeying in this life.

The bishop has the fullness of priesthood, which means he has the full power of Christ to teach, sanctify and govern his church, which is Christ's mystical body.

The Catechism says that: "Bishops take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd and priest, and act as his representative." (CCC 1558)

Pope John Paul II describes them as "the fully empowered ministers of the mystery of Christ's redemptive work."

We don't have to be exceptionally bright to realize that the office of bishop requires of its holder tremendous qualities -- really nothing less than holiness, the holiness of Christ himself who completed and perfected his redemptive work by offering his life on the Cross.

Maybe that is the reason why bishops usually wear vestments in purple or red, since they have to be reminded of the bloody offering they have to make of themselves, in imitation of Christ.

Bishops are expected to be united with the Pope and the bishops, much like the apostles were united and headed always by Peter. Their power, which they receive through the Pope, has to be exercised the way it was given and exercised by Peter and the apostles -- a college with Peter as head.

With this collegial unity, it can be said that while they govern their own respective local churches, they too are taking care of the universal church with the Pope and all other Bishops.

Their full power from Christ is exercised in a personal way as well as in a collegiate way.

From here, one can readily deduce that bishops should know how to act as a team, always having that collegiate mentality. It would be to his unmaking if he exercises his power just by himself.

Besides this already demanding challenge of the bishops, they too should have a good vision of their mission. And what a mission they have! They have to learn to distinguish and blend the different dimensions and aspects of their mission.

For their mission is at once supernatural and human, eternal and temporal, invisible and visible, spiritual and material, universal and particular, global and local, dogmatic and cultural, sacred and mundane, etc.

It is with this mission that they effect what the Church ought to be -- a communion of men with God and also a communion of men among themselves.

Bishops definitely need the help of everyone. They will forever be beggars of our help.