Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Bishop’s relations with the Curia and Bishops’ Conferences was the subject of a talk given today by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, the Holy Father’s Secretary of State Substitute for General Affairs, to newly appointed Bishops in mission territories taking part in the study Seminar organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. Quoting texts of the Second Vatican Council and more recent papal teaching, Archbishop Sandri stressed the collegial character of the bishop’s ministry and the function of the Bishops’ Conference which, he underlined, is a concrete application of the spirit of collegiality and he also mentioned the “indispensable relation which unites every Bishop to the Successor di Peter”.
“After the Council, Bishops’ Conferences developed considerably assuming the role of the organ most used by the Bishops of a given country or territory to collaborate together for the common good of the Church” Archbishop Sandri said. “The Bishops’ Conferences are entrusted with a practical role in dealing with concrete problems and exchange of opinions and experience in view of reaching consensus for harmonised pastoral activity. Rather than take the place of diocesan Bishops, they help them with certain tasks”. To ensure that Bishops’ Conferences fulfil their proper role certain dangers must be avoided Archbishop Sandi said. They must not become bureaucratic structures which consider the individual Bishop simply executant of decisions reached by the majority, nor must they become a sort of “super-government of dioceses”, and prevent the Bishop from tackling and solving matters with his presbytery and his people. Nor must Bishops’ Conferences give the impression that are “instances ecclesiastical almost autonomous from Apostolic See”.
Although it is ever more necessary to establish communion and pastoral cooperation among Bishops at the local level, “indispensable for every Bishop is the unique relation which unites him with the Successor of Peter. This relation consists of direct contact with the Pope and also with the Holy Father’s collaborators in the Roman Curia”. The Curia, “a tool in the hands of the Pope and which has no other authority or faculty than that which it receives from the Pope”, works in close connection with Bishops all over the world “indeed the Bishops and their Churches are the first to benefit from the work of the Curia”.
Archbishop Sandri then illustrated how the Curia has been reformed since Vatican II and he concluded by recalling the missionary nature of the Church: “missionary tension has increased among the Christian people because, thanks to the Second Vatican Council the Church is more aware that she is entirely missionary”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 10/9/2004; Righe 31 - Parole 423)
