Bishops & Priests

Details: 05 August 2011

Old Question

Scholastic theologians over the years often treated the question of the relationship of the episcopacy, the office and place of Bishops, with the divine primacy of the Bishop of Rome in the structure of the Catholic Church as Jesus Christ, her divine Founder, had arranged it. Although always answered in the negative, the question would sometimes be asked if it would be within the purview of the Pope to simply abolish the episcopacy if he wished. This could not happen, although he can and sometimes does remove from office and jurisdiction heretical or otherwise bad Bishops. The primacy of the Pope, important and true as it is, clearly taught and shown in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, has very precise limits placed there by that same divine revelation, as well as also by the continuous presence the Holy Spirit Who is the Soul of the Mystical Body (John 14:25). The fact that Jesus instituted the supreme primacy of Saint Peter and his successors in the See of Rome (John 21:15-17; Matthew 16:13-20) is balanced by the fact that He also constituted all His Apostles and their legitimate successors as the pillars of the new Israel, the Chosen People of the New Testament (Matthew 18: 17-18 & 19:28), His Catholic Church

This is why the First Vatican Council, which solemnly defined the primacy (as well as the infallibility in certain cases) of the Roman Pontiff on July 18, 1870, also taught in that same document: "This power of the Supreme Pontiff is far from standing in the way of the power of ordinary and immediate episcopal jurisdiction by which the Bishops, who, under appointment of the Holy Spirit (Acts of the Apostles 20:28), succeed in the place of the Apostles and feed and rule individually, as true shepherds, the particular flock assigned to them. Rather this latter power is asserted, confirmed, and vindicated by the authority of this same supreme and universal Shepherd, as seen in words of Pope Saint Gregory the Great: My honor is the honor of the whole Church. My honor is the solid strength of my brothers (the Bishops). I am truly honored when due honor is paid to each and every one of them."

Ratzinger

In preparation for the Second Vatican Council, which it was foreseen would be treating extensively the episcopacy, many theologians wrote and spoke about the old scholastic question involved in the issue of relating the Pope to the Bishops. Among these theologians was the young German scholar, Josef Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI). In a monograph written before the Council, at which he was present as a personal "peritus" (expert) for Cardinal Frings of Cologne, our future Pope wrote: "The actual content of the Roman claim is expressed by the concept of the Apostolic See in centripetal fashion, yet the same concept also connotes an orientation to the fullness of the Church. We get, therefore, the following picture. The Church is the living presence of the divine Word. This presence is made concrete in those persons, the Bishops, whose basic function is to hold fast to the Word, and who then are the embodiment of "tradition" and to this extent are in the apostolic line of "succession". Conspicuous among the successors of the Apostles is the line of Apostolic Sees, which ultimately is concentrated in the See of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. This is the touchstone of apostolic succession. Thus, the Bishops are first of all referred to Rome, for only communion with Rome gives them "Catholicity" and that fullness of apostolicity without which they could not be true Bishops. Without communion with Rome one cannot be in the "Catholica". This reference of the Bishops to Rome is the primary relationship to be ascertained."

The then Father Ratzinger went on to say, "On the other hand the episcopal See of Rome itself does not stand in isolation, devoid of relationships. It creates the Catholicity for the other Sees, but exactly for this reason it also needs Catholicity. It sets up the essential order of Catholicity and precisely for this reason it also needs the reality of Catholicity. Just as, on the one hand, it guarantees essential Catholicity, so, on the other hand, real Catholicity stands warranty for it. Just as the other Sees need the apostolic testimony of Rome in order to be Catholic, so Rome needs their Catholic testimony, the testimony of real fullness in order to remain true. Without the testimony of reality, Rome would negate its own meaning. A Pope who would excommunicate the entire episcopate could never exist, because a Church which had become only Roman would no longer be Catholic. And conversely, a lawful episcopate which would excommunicate the Pope could never exist, since a Catholicity which renounces Rome would no longer be Catholic. Both are simultaneously included in the notion of Catholicity properly understood. The universal claim of the Pope and the inherent limitation of this claim remain bound to the basic law of fullness and so also to the divine right of Bishops."

Vatican Two

The Second Vatican Council says, "As successors of the Apostles, Bishops automatically enjoy in the Dioceses entrusted to them all the ordinary, proper, and immediate authority required for the exercise of their pastoral office. But this authority never in any instance infringes upon the power which the Roman Pontiff has, by virtue of his office, of reserving cases to himself or to some other authority."

The Council teaches, "The Lord Jesus, after praying to the Father and calling to Himself those whom He desired, appointed twelve men who would stay in His company and whom He would send to preach the kingdom of God (Mark 3:13-19; Matthew 10:1-42). These Apostles He formed after the manner of a college or fixed group, over which He placed Saint Peter, chosen from among them (John 21:15-17). He sent them first to the children of Israel and then to all nations (Romans1:16), so that as sharers in His power they might make all people His disciples, sanctifying and governing them (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; John 20:21-23). Thus they would spread His Church and by ministering to her under the guidance of the Lord, would shepherd her all days even to the consummation of the world (Matthew 28:20). They were confirmed in this mission on the day of Pentecost (Acts of the Apostles 2:1-26) in accordance with the Lord’s promise. By everywhere preaching the Gospel (Mark 16:20), which was accepted by their hearers under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles gathered together the Universal Church, which the Lord established on the Apostles and built upon Blessed Peter, the Chief, Christ Jesus Himself remaining the supreme Cornerstone (Revelation 21:14; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20). That divine mission, entrusted by Christ to the Apostles will last until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20), since the Gospel which was to be handed down by them is for all time the source of life for the Church. For this reason, the Apostles took care to appoint successors in this hierarchically structured society."

Shortly after the Second Vatican Council, an American Bishop remarked that the Council made clear that the Bishops must not be considered merely the extensions or the agents of the Pope. Their office makes them much more. However, as fellow successors of the Apostles, they are obliged to obey the Bishop of Rome and to keep themselves and their flocks, for the sake of their eternal salvation, always in peace and communion with the See of Peter. Saint Ambrose said, "Where Peter is there is the Church, and where the Church is there is everlasting life."