All work and no play ...

I'm off to do some sightseeing in the coming weeks, so I won't be posting until the week of August 13.

See you then.

More news from the Vatican

It seems that installations and ordinations of bishops this week across Canada is not quite enough. The Vatican also announced yesterday that the Holy Father has appointed Most Reverend Vincent Cadieux, OMI as shepherd of the Diocese of Hearst.

Bishop Cadieux is not a total stranger to Hearst. Following the retirement of His Excellency, André Vallée, PME last year, Bishop Cadieux was appointed as Apostolic Administrator of Hearst while retaining his appointment as Bishop of Moosonee. These two dioceses are neighbours, located in Northern Ontario so to a certain extent it is understandable that he might be asked to watch over both dioceses.

In fact, in recent years, there are a number of examples of multiple dioceses being joined under the pastoral care of a bishop.

• In Nova Scotia, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ was until recently the shepherd of the Archdiocese of Halifax and the Diocese of Yarmouth; and
• In Quebec, Bishop Douglas Crosby was asked to lead not only the Diocese of Labrador-Shefferville, which he has been doing since October 24, 1997, but also Saint George's (NF) since August 6, 2003.

Bishop Cadieux's appointment is a bit different from the norm though because he is retaining the pastoral responsibility for the Diocese of Moosonee while being also appointed as Bishop of Hearst. According to the official announcement, the Dioceses of Moosonee and Hearst are henceforth united 'in persona episcope' in the person of the Bishop. They will still function as two dioceses but are now joined together through the common bishop they share as Shepherd.

Ordained as a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1966, Bishop Cadieux has extensive experience working with the First Nation commuities in Canada. In fact from 1967 to 1991, he participated in a missionary pastoral activity involving the aboriginal people from the dioceses of Amos, Rouyn-Noranda and Timmins.

The week of installations

This is turning out to be the week for installing bishops in Canada. For the second time in as many days, one of the shepherds of the Church in Canada takes possession of his Diocese today and begins this new phase of his episcopal ministry.

Born in Ottawa (Ontario) on September 28, 1943, Brendan Michael O'Brien was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Ottawa (Ontario) on June 1, 1968. On May 6, 1987, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa where he served along with Archbishop Aurèle Plourde and Archbishop Marcel Gervais until May 5, 1993. On this latter date, he was named Bishop of Pembroke, Ottawa's neighboring diocese to the west. He served in Pembroke for seven years until he was named Archbishop of Saint John's, NF on December 4, 2000. Most recently (on June 1, 2007), Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop O'Brien to the See of Kingston, which has been vacant since the death of it's former shepherd Anthony Meagher on January 14, 2007. Archbishop O'Brien begins his ministry in the Archdiocese of Kingston today.

United with the Holy Father

On June 29, 2007, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Archbishop O'Brien was one of five Canadian Archbishops to participate in a special Mass celebrated in the piazza of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Every year, on this Feast, the Holy Father presents newly-named Metropolitan Archbishops (those who have pastoral charge for specific Archdioceses throughout the world), and those who have been transferred to Metropolitan Archdioceses throughout the previous year with a pallium. Gérard Pettipas, C.Ss.R. of Grouard-McLellan (Alberta); Richard Smith (Edmonton); Terrence Prendergast, S.J., (Ottawa); Brendan O’Brien (Kingston) and Thomas Collins (Toronto) were all in attendance for the celebration in Rome and received their pallia from the hands of the Holy Fahter himself.

A pallium is a circle of wool that hangs around the neck and shoulders of the Archbishop with two long pieces draping one over the chest and the other along the back. It is decorated with six black crosses and weighed with pieces of lead.

The wool for the pallium comes from two lambs offered every year to the Pope on January 21, the Feast of St. Agnes. They are first taken to the Church of St. Agnes to be blessed. The lambs arrive wearing floral crowns, one white and one red. These represent the purity of Agnes, which the archbishops should emulate, and the martyrdom of Agnes, which the archbishops should be prepared to follow.

The lambs are then shorn and the pallia are made. On the eve of the feast of the great apostles Peter and Paul (June 28), the pallia are stored overnight in the silver casket above Peter's tomb in the Vatican crypt. The following day (June 29) the pallia are given to the newly appointed metropolitan bishops, the only occasion in which more than one bishop can be seen wearing the pallium at the same time. Symbolically, the Pope is sharing his mission to "Feed my sheep and lambs" with the archbishops. The wool over the shoulders evokes the lamb over the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. It also reminds the archbishops of the burdens of their office. By investing each new Archbishop with the pallium, the Holy Father confers some of his own weight and responsibilities on him.

At his own inauguration of Petrine Ministry as Bishop of Rome on April 24, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI spoke moving words about the pallium he had received during that ceremony: “The symbolism of the Pallium is even more concrete: the lamb’s wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life.

Eparch for the Ukrainians of New Westminster

The history of the Roman Catholic Church has its share of ups and downs. In 1066, a major schism occurred, the result of which was that we now have what we refer to as the Church of the West, made up of Roman Catholics throughout the world, and the Eastern Churches, a series of national Churches, each of which has two branches. One of these sub-branches refers to what we call the uniate Churches - those who recognize the Bishop of Rome as their leader. The other sub-branch is referred to as the Orthodox Churches, those that claim the Archbishop of Constantinople as their leader.

The Eastern uniate Churches, which communicate with the Vatican through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, are similar in their structure to the Church of the West although there are a number of differences. For example, married clergy is allowed in the Eastern Churches, and their bishops are usually appointed by a Synod or gathering of Eastern Rite bishops, pending the approval of the Holy Father in Rome.

On June 1, 2007, Benedict XVI accepted the resignation presented by His Excellency, Severian Stefan Yakymyshyn, OSBM, a Basilian who has served as Eparch of New Westminster, British Columbia, a post he had held since January 5, 1995. On the same day, the Holy Father appointed Rev. Kenneth Anthony Adam Nowakowski, a priest of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Saskatoon who was currently serving as Chancellor of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Saskatoon.

When a priest is appointed Bishop or Eparch, he must receive Episcopal Ordination, usually within three months of the date of his appointment. Eparch-elect Nowakowski's ordination is taking place today in Saint Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Westminster, British Columbia. During the liturgy of Ordination, he also takes posession of his new Eparchy and begins his Episcopal ministry.

Change can be a good thing

Many nations which some would consider as first-world countries have been experiencing declining numbers of people who attend liturgical gatherings in any organized religion on a regular basis. Strangely enough, it seems that this is not a response to a decline in faith, for many are indeed thirsting for answers and will turn to the spiritual realm, meditation and contemplation in order to find what they are looking for.

Some would say that organized religion has to change the way that we inter-relate with people. We need to be pro-active about helping people to identify their thirst for the spiritual and we must be willing to help them find the answers. At the very least, organized religion should point the way so that those who may not even know what they are seeking can identify possible answers to the questions that gnaw at the gut level.

It does indeed take courage to be Catholic these days, the type of courage that allows Christ's followers to remain grounded, to remain connected and to speak from the heart when confronted with the questions and challenges of modern times. This is not the time to hide our heads in the sand and hope that the problems will go away; it is a time of favour in which we must return to the wisdom of our roots to find the answers we seek.

If there is reform to be made, we must be willing to examine the possibilities, and make the necessary changes which are within our circle of influence. Change is never easy, but it always calls us back to basics, to the rudiments of life. If there is to be change in the Church, we must be willing to walk in faith, allowing the Spirit to guide us to the places and experiences which will help us to grow in our relationships with each other and with God.

Change is often painful because it necessitates letting go of something that is familiar and comfortable. Change often necessitates venturing into the unknown and risking the possibility of being vulnerable. This is not an easy task, and we can often be tempted to refrain from entering the fray, preferring to stick with the world we know rather than taking the plunge.

It has often been said that the Catholic Church is so large and complex that it seems to move at a glacial pace, at least when it comes to making changes. However, change is not something foreign to the Church. In fact, it is often in the process of change that we are called to deeper prayer. It is in moments of transition that we often are most keenly aware that God is close, guiding our steps and leading us to a deeper, more personal, more intimate relationship with Him.

Promoting healthy priests

Many other professions require their 'members' to undertake ongoing education either as a requirement of employment or as a qualification for advancement. I'll be the first to admit that to see priesthood as a profession akin to one of these would be to make a grave error, for priesthood is not like other professions, but like other professionals, priests should always make room for a certain component of continuing education in their routines.

George Weigel explains that 'the reform of the priesthood must include continuing priestly education programs (which) focus intensely on deepening a man's theological understanding of himself and his priesthood - its New Testament origins, its historical development and the best contemporary analyses of this unique vocation.' (Courage, p. 178)

This ongoing formation can include any number of a variety of possibilities from taking advantage of programmes of study at various Universities to taking the time to read certain books and periodicals which provide critical analyses of the current affairs of the day, in the light of faith. In the past few years, the Congregation for Clergy in Rome has also launched a variety of initiatives for the continuing formation of priests and deacons.

When it comes to promoting on-going formation, every priest is ultimately 'the chief agent of (his own) ongoing education and formation, but an honest open, intimate relationship with his proper bishop is also a crucial part of any priest's life-long work of remaining faithful to his vocation and his vows.' (Courage, p. 179)

Especially in the case of diocesan priests, who in some instances live alone in their rectories, it has never been more important that they should take every opportunity to deepen the bonds of fraternity with their brothers. Only when priests are first friends, will they dare to trust one another with the stories of their joys and struggles, but this is a crucial part of promoting a healthy understanding of the mystery of service to which we are called.

Healthy priests know how to welcome newly-ordained priests, and often without uttering a word, provide example for those who are still learning about the day-to-day realities of living their vocations. Good examples of balance in prayer, relationships and devotion to the life of the ministry which is confided to us, including the asceticism which has characterized people of great faith throughout the centuries, often speak louder than any words that could ever be uttered.

Example is often the first thing that is seen by those who are considering the call to a vocation of priesthood. Here too, healthy relationships we cultivate are vital, for a priest who is perceived to be actively involved in giving of himself every day in service to the Church and who is grounded in a life of prayer often does not hesitate to challenge others to follow in the footsteps of the Lord.

At its core, promoting a healthy lifestyle for priests is all about remembering the basics and returning to them so that we remain grounded. While the celebration of the Eucharist should be the summit of each day in the life of a priest, we also need room for a healthy prayer life, for devotion to the work of proclaiming Christ's presence to those entrusted to our pastoral care, and for leisure activities. Oh, and a healthy dose of realism and a sense of humour help a whole lot too.

Be salt for the earth ... be light for the world

It's no coincidence that the events which take place in one part of the world can and do have an effect on things that happen in another part of our globe. In fact, with the dawn of the technological age and the information superhighway we call the internet, information travels instantly to the remotest parts of our world.

The allegations of abuse and the ensuing challenge for the Church in the United States of America, spoken of in George Weigel's book The Courage to be Catholic came to light on the public stage in the early part of 2002. Considering the gravity of the situation, most Americans may very well have wished that Rome would have cracked down on Church leaders in the United States much quicker and more severely than they did. There are many reasons for this wish, some of which are discussed in Mr. Weigel's work, but the reality about how it was handled and the reasons why, shed a very intriguing light on the subject.

While the Cardinals and Bishops in the United States struggled to deal with this new reality, Pope John Paul II, who was aware of the events unravelling not so far away, was in Toronto for the celebration of the 17th World Youth Day.

In his homily preached at the closing Mass at Downsview, the Holy Father acknowledged the 'harm done by some priests and religious to the young and vulnerable as something that fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame. But he encouraged the young people gathered there, and all those throughout the world who suffer because of the abuse of power by some, and the failure to protect the young and the vulerable to think of the vast majority of dedicated and generous priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good!

He then called upon young people to recognize the many priests, seminarians and consecrated persons who were present at that Mass, and called upon them to be close to them and support them! And if, in the depths of your hearts, you feel the same call to the priesthood or consecrated life, do not be afraid to follow Christ on the royal road of the Cross! At difficult moments in the Church's life, the pursuit of holiness becomes even more urgent. And holiness is not a question of age; it is a matter of living in the Holy Spirit, just as Kateri Tekakwitha did here in America and so many other young people have done.

Throughout his pontificate, John Paul II had never been afraid to speak the truth of the gospel, especially in the light of difficult situations. He always saw moments of crisis as moments of opportunity, and so instead of losing hope because of the actions of the few, he chose to concentrate on the promise of a brighter tomorrow. He reminded us that we are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.

He therefore called on participants at the World Youth Day gathering, and on youth throughout the world to be people of the Beatitudes, and to be salt and light for the world.