 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| A Blueprint for Bishops (and Popes) Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way Pope John Paul II, translated by Walter Ziemba Warner Books, 2004 Last spring, I asked a prominent Vatican correspondent when this book would be coming out in English. He said that some sort of contractual hitch had tossed the release of the English edition up in the air. Happily, the translation of Rise Let Us Be On Our Way was issued in late 2004. John Paul II's deepening infirmity has not hampered his written output. Even now, he has another book in the pipeline and I predict that he will continue to "speak"* with more books in the coming years. Rise Let Us Be On Our Way is addressed to bishops, a crowd that currently needs everything from wise, gentle counsel to good swift kicks in their asses. In his exposition, the pope is sometimes a nice old man, telling stories about his own vocation. One can see him as a 38-year-old priest, breaking away from his vacation in a canoe and hitching a ride on a flour truck to get to the meeting where he learns he has been made a bishop (appointing him being the dying Pius XII's last act as pope). In other passages, he calmly articulates the correct understanding of what a Catholic bishop should be. The precise role of bishops has actually been a matter of debate--at least in some minds--since Vatican I in the 1870s. Even now there is expectation--again, in some minds--that the bishops--over JPII's dead body, of course--will soon become a full-blown ecclesiastical legislature as Christ intended, decentralizing power and carrying out the will of constituencies. John Paul II calls it an "oversimplification and a serious misunderstanding" to think of bishops as representatives, either of the the Church or to it. "The bishop," he writes, "is the sign of Christ's presence in the world [like all ordained, an icon of Christ, male and unmarried], going out to meet men and women where they are: calling them by name, helping them to rise, consoling them with the Good News and gathering them into one around the Lord's Table." Of his bishops, a frustrated Pope John Paul II once said, "I try to tell them, but they don't listen to me!" Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way is one more attempt to tell them. The older crowd probably still won't listen. *People who would love to see JPII out of the way--retired or preferably dead--are citing some canon that says that a priest who can no longer "speak" can no longer function as a priest. |
| Quotes From Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way
If someone seeks in the episcopal office honor for its own sake, he will not be able to fulfill his episcopal mission well. Quoting Cardinal Wyszynski: "Lack of courage in a bishop is the beginning of disaster. Can he still be an apostle? Witnessing to the Truth is essential for an apostle. And this always demands courage." The ring, a nuptial symbol, expresses the particular bond between the bishop and the Church. For me it has a daily call to fidelity. It is like a silent question that echoes in my conscience: Am I totally dedicated to my bride--the Church? Am I sufficiently "for" the communities, young and old people, and also "for" those yet to be born? Another responsibility that certainly forms part of a pastor's role is admonition. I think that in this regard I did too little. There is always a problem in achieving a balance between authority and service. Maybe I should have been more assertive... We fully realize that catechesis cannot rely solely on abstract concepts. Obviously, they are necessary because, when we speak of supernatural realities, we cannot avoid the use of philosophical concepts. Catechesis, however, gives priority to the human person and to personal encounter through signs and symbols of faith. I believe that in multiple forms of popular piety lies hidden the answer to a question that is sometimes raised concerning the significance of such manifestations of local tradition. The answer is simple: when hearts are united, the result is a great force for good. To be rooted in what is ancient, strong, profound, and, at the same time, dear to the heart, gives an extraordinary interior energy. |
Copyright 2004 by Neal J. Conway. All rights reserved.