By BISHOP HOWARD J. HUBBARD
In addition to being the pastor of a local church, one of the major responsibilities of a diocesan bishop, in his role as a successor of the Apostles, is to serve as a link with other bishops and dioceses in the Church Universal, in communion with the chief shepherd of the Church, the Bishop of Rome.
This membership in the College of Bishops, presided over by the Holy Father, is the instrument for enabling the Church to fulfill its mission to be one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
A tangible and visible way in which this unity is expressed is the ad limina visit, whereby every five years, each diocesan bishop from a given region or province (and any of the auxiliary bishops who choose to participate) journeys to Rome to provide a comprehensive report on the spiritual and pastoral status of his diocese, and to engage in a series of meetings with the Holy Father and his assistants in the various Vatican dicasteries or congregations.
Recently, I was very pleased to represent our Diocese at this quinquennial gathering and to have the privilege of sharing with the Holy See the rich faith life of our 14-county Diocese, as well as the particular challenges and opportunities which confront our contemporary Church.
By way of the following diary, I hope I can capture for you -- the dedicated priests, deacons, religious and laity of our Diocese -- a sense of this special bonding with the Holy Father and the Church Universal which this ad limina visit affords.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19
I left the Albany County Airport on a mid-afternoon flight to Philadelphia, transferring to a transatlantic flight to Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci airport. In Philadelphia, I rendezvoused with Bishops Matthew Clark of Rochester and James Moynihan of Syracuse, accompanied by his secretary, Father Joseph Zaretski.
Waiting to board the plane to Rome, a very lovely young woman introduced herself as a native of Delmar, Susan Koeppen. She is a TV reporter for a local Rochester station and informed me she had been assigned to cover Bishop Clark's Rome visit. She had been requested as well by WNYT, Channel 13 in Albany, to garner comments from me along the way.
I was delighted to see a native daughter doing so well in her chosen profession, but I did feel somewhat sorry for her upon learning that the cameraman assigned to accompany her had had to cancel at the last minute because of the critical illness of a family member. Consequently, until another cameraperson from Rochester could be freed up, she was preparing to link up with some freelance videographers in Rome -- something which would make a somewhat difficult assignment all the more daunting. Susan, however, seemed unflappable and optimistic about the challenge. Ah, for the enthusiasm of youth!
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20
After an eight-and-a-half-hour trip, four of which were spent in a restful sleep, a pleasant phenomenon usually not experienced by this not-so-relaxed traveler, we arrived in Rome on a sun-drenched morning, a welcome reprieve from the snow, cold and clouds of upstate New York this time of year. Equally as welcome was a driver commissioned by the Rector of the North American College, Father Tim Dolan, to transport us to the College -- an unexpected treat as we were prepared to hail a cab for the 15-mile drive into the Eternal City.
While most of the bishops from our state would be staying elsewhere, Bishop Clark and I are alumni of the North American College, where we lived during our four years of theological study in the early 1960s, those halcyon days of the Second Vatican Council. This magnificent edifice sits on the slope of one of Rome's famous hills, the Janiculum, nestled between the Propaganda College (housing seminarians and priests from mission countries) and the Bambino Gesu Hospital, specializing in the care of infants and children. The college, with its pine tree drive and walkways, overlooks St. Peter's Basilica, which dominates the landscape.
Although it has been 34 years since the completion of my studies in Rome, the college is still very much home: a place filled with fond memories of daily liturgies, special feasts, ordinations, retreats, spiritual formation, theological study and discussion, and, above all, classmates and contemporaries now ministering in every part of the United States of America.
The choice of residing at the North American College during this ad limina visit had the added bonus of being with David LeFort, a diocesan seminarian from Immaculate Conception parish in Glenville, who is studying at the college. He is anticipating his ordination to the priesthood this coming July. I was also reunited with Father Peter Russo, the pastor of St. Bridget's parish in Copake Falls, who is matriculating for three months at the Institute for Continuing Clergy Education, also housed at the college. Upon arrival, I was greeted warmly by both.
David was very upbeat, having just completed quite successfully his exams relative to his first-semester subjects at the Academia Alfonsiana, where he is studying moral theology, specializing in medical ethical issues: a discipline which will prove to be invaluable in the days ahead, given the complex and rapidly changing issues in the contemporary healthcare field.
Father Russo had returned earlier in the day from a liturgy at the Baptistry of St. John's Lateran Basilica, the Mother Church of Christendom (since this is the Basilica that served from the third century on as the pope's cathedral). This liturgy capped his initial three weeks at the Institute and the completion of his course on the liturgical rites and pastoral practices of the early Church.
Following siesta, that venerable Roman custom I generally forego, but which was most appreciated today, given the short night of sleep created by the six-hour time differential between Albany and Rome, I had the opportunity to review the material for our ad limina visit, take a refreshing jog around the college grounds and attend evening prayer with the seminary community at which David LeFort presided.
It was uplifting to hear the liturgy of the hours being chanted and recited in a communal setting, and I was proud of how well he conducted the service. I look forward to the day when he will be serving God's people and leading the worshipping community as a presbyter in our Diocese, along with two other fine candidates, Robert Longobucco and Michael Cournoyer, who are scheduled to be ordained with him on July 3.
As I exited the chapel, a handsomely crafted scroll caught my eye, listing the eight recipients of the Founder's Medal, conferred by the alumni association of the North American College. Among those honored is Msgr. Edward Glavin of our Diocese, who passed away last summer after 60 years of marvelous service as an educator, college chaplain, canonist and long-standing pastor of St. Mary's in Amsterdam. Msgr. Glavin served as vice-rector, helping to reopen the college after World War II, and for some 40 years as editor of the college's alumni newsletter "Nova et Vetera" ("of things new and old"). The North American College has no more loyal a son than Msgr. Glavin, and I was pleased to note that his contributions are being acknowledged in such a prominent place on the main corridor of his beloved alma mater.
My first day of the ad limina visit drew to a pleasant close with a light supper and informal conversation in the faculty dining room with faculty members and several visiting prelates in Rome for tomorrow's consistory, including Cardinals Bevilacqua, Keeler and Hickey of Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington respectively. It was good to be "back home" in such a familiar, friendly and hospitable environment.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Jet lag has always been a problem for me; and the older I get, the worse it becomes. But a night of fitful sleep yielded to another gorgeous, sun-splashed day.
After my morning jog, I went to the Vatican for the installation of 20 new cardinals. This ceremony, known as a consistory, is conducted in the context of a prayer service utilizing the universal language of the Church, Latin, and accompanied by all the splendor and pageantry associated with the Church's 2,000-year history.
Originally, this event was scheduled to be held in the papal audience hall. However, because of the unseasonably warm weather, the ceremony was transferred to the portico of St. Peter's Basilica, facing out upon the world's most famous piazza, bounded by the majestic Bernini columns and overflowing with family members, relatives and well-wishers of these new princes of the Church.
More than 100 members of the College of Cardinals were present, in addition to some 300 bishops, members of the diplomatic corps assigned to the Holy See and an estimated 20,000 priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful gathered in the square.
I found myself seated between a bishop from Paraguay and one from the British Isles. The newly installed cardinals came from North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania, so the prayers of intercession were offered in English, Portuguese, French, German, Swahili, Chinese, Polish and Italian. This whole assemblage reinforced in my own mind the universality of the Church, composed of people from all ethnic, racial, social, cultural and national backgrounds.
Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II presided at the ceremony, looking frail and bent with age, yet radiating that charismatic demeanor which has made him the most renowned figure on the world's stage. He spoke with a strong, clear voice and was cheered enthusiastically by all assembled.
After the readings from Scripture, each of the Cardinals to be installed professed the Creed, expressed his fidelity and obedience to the Holy Father and his successors, and received his red hat from the Pope (actually an orange-colored zucheto and beretum).
Also, each new cardinal was assigned a titular church in Rome, for which he is to serve as a patron and in which he is to preside while in the Eternal City. The rite of installation concluded with each new cardinal receiving the kiss of peace from the other cardinals present, symbolizing their acceptance into the College of Cardinals.
Personally, I have had interaction with four of the new cardinals. Cardinal Francis Stafford, now president of the Pontifical Commission for the Laity, was my predecessor on the United States Bishop's Committee for Marriage and the Family, and tapped me to serve as his successor. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago is a fellow member of a committee to plan the next special assembly for the American bishops, to be held in the summer of 1999. Also, when Bishop George served as bishop of Yakima, he graciously supported one of our diocesan priests, Father Phil Cioppa, in his role as director of the NorthWestern Hispanic Ministry and later prevailed upon me to allow Father Cioppa to give a few more years of service in one of the parishes of that priest-short diocese.
Cardinal Dino Monduzzi has been serving as prefect of the papal household. While I've only met him in passing, Father Tom Powers, now pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Valatie (as well as chair of the diocesan Ministry to Priests Board), worked quite closely with this new cardinal during his days as head of the Casa, the House for Continuing Graduate studies in Rome, which included the responsibility of obtaining tickets for papal audiences.
And Cardinal Alberto Bavone, now pro-prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, formerly served as secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In that capacity, I had correspondence and meetings with him relative to a book on the sacraments to which I had given an imprimatur. Upon careful review, all of the issues surfaced were resolved in favor of the author.
The significance of the College of Cardinals is that these prelates (as long as they are under the age of 80) serve as the electors of the pope. The College has members from 62 countries and undoubtedly the next Supreme Pontiff will be selected from their number.
While impressed by the background and qualifications of newly appointed cardinals, I could not help but wonder if the day might come when laypersons, both men and women, might be called to serve as members of this august body. Historically, ordination has not been a condition for serving as a member of the College. In this age of collaboration, shared responsibility and greater lay involvement, to name some lay women and men to the College of Cardinals would, I believe, provide for a fuller representation of the entire Church in the selection of a pope. It is my hope that at some consistory in the not too distant future, that possibility might become a reality.
Upon returning home from the consistory, I was delighted to meet the aforementioned Father Cioppa, who was in Rome on pilgrimage with a delegation from his parish community of St. Mary's Church in Hoosick Falls. What a coincidence and pleasant surprise! He treated me to lunch and later introduced me to his parishioners, whom I invited to join with us for liturgy at the college later that evening.
Sue Koeppen and her new cameraman, Todd (who within 24 hours had obtained a passport from Senator D'Amato's office), stopped by in the late afternoon for a short interview to be transmitted back to the States via the Internet.
The 6 p.m. vigil liturgy brought back memories of seminarian days when I served as master of ceremonies at the college, seeking to ensure that candidates for priestly ministry were fully conversant with the Church's rubrics and liturgical norms. Over the years, I have come to appreciate more fully how important liturgical guidelines are for uniformity and stability in celebrating the Church's acts of worship. However, in the final analysis, it is the interior dispositions of the presider, the liturgical ministers and the worshipping community which provide the foundation for meaningful, spirit-filled liturgies.
A rich and eventful day was capped off by supper with David LeFort and Father Russo at a small trattoria near the college, providing an opportunity to unwind and to chat about many things, both great and small.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Again, we returned to St. Peter's Basilica, this time for a Eucharistic liturgy at which the newly created cardinals received their rings from the Holy Father, signifying the special bond they have with the Vicar of Christ and the particular role they are called to play in the governance of the Church.
Coincidentally, I arrived at the portico of the Basilica at the same time as Bishop William Murphy, an auxiliary to Cardinal Law for the Archdiocese of Boston and a longtime figure on the Roman scene. For many years, Bishop Murphy, a contemporary from my student days in Rome, served with the Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice. He has a great knowledge of the Vatican and its workings, and a wealth of information about the various figures in the hierarchy of the Church.
Bishop Murphy was quickly recognized by the papal ushers, who brought him to a reserved seat immediately opposite the papal altar; as his accidental companion on this occasion, I was accorded the same regal treatment. Before the ceremony began, Bishop Murphy offered me a fascinating thumbnail sketch on the background of the new cardinals.
Unlike yesterday, I was struck by the scaffolding erected in front of the Basilica as part of the restoration and conservation of this jewel of Christendom in preparation for the Great Jubilee ushering in the new millennium. Already, the Vatican and Rome are gearing up for the influx of millions of pilgrims who will pass through the bronze doors of St. Peter's during the jubilee year.
Symbolically, I believe, this scaffold serves as a reminder of the fact that not only the physical edifice of the Church but also the Church as the living communion of the faithful is in need of renovation and reform. Indeed, Pope John Paul II, in anticipating the millennium observance, has called for repentance, conversion and reconciliation to be the hallmark of our preparation.
The Pope has expressed sorrow for past failures, such as the excesses of the Crusades, the perfidy of the Inquisition, the exploitation of indigenous peoples under the guise of spreading Christianity, the persecution of the Jews, and the condemnation of Galileo and other historical figures. Our Holy Father has challenged us to root out those attitudes and that behavior which may inhibit the Church from being the beacon of light and the anchor of hope which it is called to be for all the peoples of the world.
The Gospel reading from today's Mass, very appropriately the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, recounts the words spoken to Peter by Jesus: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. To you, I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 6:18-20).
While I have heard that particular Gospel reading many times, today it took on particular meaning being proclaimed in the presence of Peter's successor, John Paul II. Indeed, the Pope as the successor of Peter is the visible fount of unity for the Church and exercises the primacy of teaching authority among all the bishops in the world.
It is interesting to note that the Holy Father is very sensitive as to how this primacy of the petrine office is to be fulfilled in the contemporary milieu and how historically our understanding of papal primacy has been an obstacle to Christian unity. That is why in his recent encyclical, "Ut Unum Sint" (That All May Be One), underscoring the imperative for achieving that unity among Christians which is so dear to the heart of Christ, the Pope called for a study of how the petrine office might be exercised in the future in order to foster greater unity among those who glory in the name of Christian.
After the Creed, each of the cardinals knelt in front of the Holy Father to receive their cardinational ring. John Paul said to each: "Receive this ring from the hand of Peter and know that with the love of the head of the Apostles, you are reinforced in your love for the Church."
As I watched the 77-year-old Pope move from the Papal throne to the altar of sacrifice, it was clear that his steps were labored; and I was reminded of the tremendous burdens this holy man has had to endure in his role of the Supreme Pontiff. It is staggering to think of the challenges that he has had to address during his 19-year papacy, for example, attending to the needs of the Church in Eastern Europe before the fall of the Iron Curtain and now mediating the tensions between the Roman Catholic community and the Orthodox Churches in the former republics of the Soviet Union...negotiating formal recognition and diplomatic relations with the State of Israel while still championing the rights of the Palestinians...striving to reconcile those Chinese Catholics who joined the patriotic church with those who at great sacrifice, including imprisonment and death, have remained faithful to Rome...breaking down the barriers to religious and human rights during his recent trip to Cuba...and agonizing over the genocide and fratricide perpetrated by the Christian tribes of Rwanda -- just to mention a few.
Then, of course, there have been six bouts of surgery and bullet wounds from a 1981 assassination attempt, the difficulty of coping with the debilitating effect of Parkinson's disease, and the responsibility of addressing such internal Church issues as the excesses of liberation theology, the growing feminist movement, evangelizing in an environment of rampant secularism, the worldwide priest shortage, and the schism rendered by Archbishop Lefebvre and his followers.
Through all of these difficulties and crises, Pope John Paul has been the rock, steering the barque of Peter with a firm hand and clear vision through turbulent waters and rough seas. For his sterling, persevering and prophetic leadership, all in the Church and indeed all throughout the world should be deeply grateful.
Arriving back at the college after the Papal Mass, I ran into a good friend and classmate, Father Francis Kelly, rector of Pope John XXIII Seminary in Boston, a seminary designed to serve the needs of second-career candidates for priestly ministry. He reported that the seminary is full, and he was most enthusiastic about the exceptional quality of his candidates. Father Kelly was in Rome for the investiture of Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, OP, of Vienna, Austria, with whom he had worked closely in preparing the new "Catechism of the Catholic Church"; and he expressed his opinion that Cardinal Schonborn had all of the intellectual, theological, pastoral and spiritual qualities to be considered a prime candidate to succeed Pope John Paul II.
In late afternoon, the five bishops from the New York Province staying at the North American College made the trek down the Janiculum Hill to the Domus Sanctae Martae where the other 15 bishops from the province were residing for the week. This new state-of-the-art hotel is located within the Vatican grounds behind the Paul VI audience hall and next to St. Peter's Basilica. When the next conclave to elect the Pope is conducted, the cardinal electors will be housed in this facility. Previously, makeshift arrangements had to be developed for housing the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel where the accommodations were far from satisfactory. The actual conclave itself, however, will continue to be held in the Sistine Chapel.
Cardinal John O'Connor of New York City and Bishop John McGann of the Diocese of Rockville Centre presided at our session, at which we finalized times and places for our meetings with the various Vatican congregations during the forthcoming week and formulated proposed specific pastoral questions or issues to be discussed with each congregation.
After our gathering, the bishops staying at the college stopped for supper on the way home. I am always thrilled by the sights, sounds and smells garnered in wandering through the streets of ancient Rome, and tonight's experience was no exception. Indeed, the food at Galeassi's Restaurant in Trastevere was extraordinary.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23
The day broke with a torrential downpour; so, armed with umbrellas, we made our way for an 8 a.m. liturgy at St. Peter's Basilica. It was somewhat eerie to see the Basilica, usually teeming with visitors, virtually empty. Since all the chairs and kneelers had been removed from the nave of the Basilica, I was struck by the immensity of the structure -- with its mammoth papal altar, the historic chair of Peter and its myriad of side chapels, the crowning jewel of which is the altar of the Pieta, with Michelangelo's breathtaking sculpture of Mary, caressing with her aching arms the body of her crucified son.
Cardinal O'Connor presided at the Mass celebrated in the Crypt of the Basilica at the Tomb of St. Peter. All 21 of our New York bishops concelebrated the Mass. David LeFort served as deacon, and Father Russo along with 10 to 15 others joined for the liturgy.
I remembered that when we gathered for our 1993 ad limina visit in October, David was a new student at the college, just getting his feet wet. How time flies! Here he is, serving as deacon for the liturgy and assisting the Cardinal in the celebration of the Eucharist.
At the outset of the Mass, the Cardinal stated what a great privilege it was as a successor of the Apostles to celebrate at the Tomb of Peter, the rock whom Jesus established as the head of the Church. He asked that we pray in a special way during the Mass for Peter's successor, Pope John Paul II, and for a successful diplomatic solution to the crisis in Iraq, that the imminent threat of military intervention there be averted.
In his homily, Cardinal O'Connor focused on the words of Christ in the Gospel reading addressed to Peter: "Who do you say I am?" Peter responded, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Cardinal O'Connor recalled how he posed that very question at a Mass he celebrated in Paris last summer for the American teenagers and young adults attending World Youth Day. He asked them if they really believed that Jesus was present in the Eucharist and in the world. And if so, how this belief affected their day-to-day life.
The Cardinal's words reminded me of the sad reality that many of our young people today do not understand or appreciate the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and their role in making His Gospel values present in the world of family, work, government, politics and community activity. The rectification of this deficiency is one of the six priorities in our Diocese as we approach the millennium, especially through the Renew 2000 program or other jubilee year preparation programs being employed by our parishes.
The first of several congregation meetings took place this morning with the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life, located on the Via Conciliatione. This Congregation is headed by the Spanish Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo. The language for the meetings is Italian -- with simultaneous translation provided.
Cardinal Martinez Somalo opened the session by reviewing the major conclusions formulated by the Synod on Religious Life a few years ago; specifically, the desire to have religious live in community, to wear a distinctive religious habit and to give witness to the evangelical vow of poverty.
In response, Cardinal O'Connor spoke very positively about the tremendous contributions of women and men religious in the State of New York in the fields of education, health care and social services. He suggested that the types of problematic dimensions of religious life which were noted by Cardinal Martinez Somalo in his introduction were not prevalent in our Province and that while many religious do not wear a formal habit, they do wear clothing and religious symbols whereby most people know that they are consecrated religious. Cardinal O'Connor noted further that in New York State, the bishops have positive collaborative relationships with religious communities, with regular meetings at both the state and diocesan levels to discuss issues of mutual concern.
That is certainly true in our own Diocese of Albany, wherein I meet regularly with the superiors of women religious and with the Sisters' Council. As a matter of fact, my annual meeting with the latter group takes place the week I return home from this ad limina visit.
A major issue confronting bishops and religious communities is how to maintain the Catholic identity, character and mission of our health and educational institutions in light of the declining number of religious. Certainly, we are grateful for the growing collaboration with the laity serving on the boards and staffs of our schools, colleges and healthcare institutions, and we devote a great deal of effort to imbuing them with the vision, spirit and charism of the religious community which founded and sponsors a given institution.
Another great challenge for hospitals, in particular, in this age of managed care and cost containment in the healthcare field, is the need to enter into mergers with other healthcare entities, some of which are not Catholic. The key to doing that is to preserve our ability to act in accordance with the ethical directives developed by the United States bishops and to ensure that we can continue to deliver service to the poor and needy.
At times, that brings challenges from groups like Family Planning Advocates, which oppose mergers between Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals when abortion, tubal ligations, contraceptives and other services prohibited under Catholic auspices will not be provided in the merged entity. For example, in our own Diocese, the merger between St. Mary's and Leonard hospitals in Troy into a new entity, Seton Health Care System, was challenged in the courts by Family Planning Advocates, Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthood of Northeastern New York because abortions, previously available at Leonard, would not be offered in the new entity. The court determined, however, that such services need not be provided, as long as this fact was made known to patients and that a list was made available indicating where the prohibitive services are offered.
We pointed out to the congregation that this type of challenge to mergers and to the very existence of Catholic health care in our Empire State will continue to be a major threat in the future. To strengthen Catholic health care in our Diocese, we have formed the Catholic Health Alliance, composed of our four Catholic hospitals, eight nursing homes and extended care facilities, 32 Catholic Charities agencies, 45 schools, and 189 parishes. It is hoped that through a greater networking of these institutions, we will be able to continue to provide comprehensive, competent, high-quality care to the poor, sick and infirm on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, fully in accord with the ethical values and moral teachings of our Catholic Christian tradition.
Our session with the congregation officials closed with a discussion about the need to promote vocations to the vowed life. We indicated that the bishops of the United States have developed a strategy for doing this titled, "A Future Full of Hope." In our Diocese, for example, we have met with all the priests and parish life directors to explain this strategy, and are currently in the process of forming vocation committees for each parish or cluster. The committee members will seek to help create a parish environment wherein men and women, both young and not so young, are encouraged to discern prayerfully and seriously whether God is calling them to serve the Church as ordained or vowed ministers.
As we were leaving the congregation's office, Sister Sharon Holland, an American woman religious on the staff of the congregation, informed me that this congregation was following very closely the development of the Secular Institute founded by Louise Principe, the Franciscan Missionaries of Jesus Crucified, which is designed to foster the living of consecrated life on the part of those coping with physical and developmental disabilities. I was most encouraged to learn of the Congregation's awareness of and interest in this apostolate, which has grown quite rapidly the past few years, and which has given many people suffering with disabilities a whole new outlet for their spiritual growth and development, as well as for authentic apostolic service.
Late afternoon afforded the opportunity to visit the religious goods store in the Piazza Farnese operated by the Lelli-Garey family. An evening meal at the college was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the past few days.
Upon emerging from supper, I was handed a biletto from the papal household announcing my appointment with the Holy Father for tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. I noted that this invitation was signed by Bishop-elect James Harvey, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who earlier this month was appointed the Prefect of the Apostolic household, the first American to ever hold that prestigious office.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Another chilly, rainy morning. This was the weather I had been anticipating for February in Rome. I was now spoiled after the tremendous sunshine and warm temperatures of our first three days. Our initial meeting for the day was with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and the secretary for the Congregation, Archbishop Bertoni. Next to the Holy Father, Cardinal Ratzinger is arguably the most influential prelate in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a man of brilliant intellect, wide-ranging interests and definite opinions as to the solutions to the various doctrinal and pastoral problems confronting the Church.
Cardinal Ratzinger spoke with us about the importance of Christology as being the foundation for addressing such issues as women's ordination, inclusive language, religious relativism and the primacy of the Eucharist in the Christian life. He revealed that Pope John Paul II is preparing a major encyclical on the importance of the Sunday liturgy for meeting Christ in the Eucharist.
In response to a question about the issue of the ordination of women, Cardinal Ratzinger indicated that a distinction must be made between those teachings or practices of the Church which are doctrinal in nature, and those which are disciplinary. He indicated while the Holy Father values the gifts and charisms of women, as expressed in his encyclical "Mulieris Dignitatem," the exclusion of women from the ordained ministry is judged to be a doctrinal matter in obedience to the unanimity of the Tradition of the Church on this matter.
Cardinal Ratzinger stressed, however, that this is not to denigrate the role of women in the Church; that there are two dimensions to ministry: the Petrine and Marian. They are distinct and different aspects, but both are critical for the life and well-being of the Church.
I raised the issue about the recent instruction concerning the essential differences between ordained and non-ordained ministers. I indicated that many found this document to be somewhat dismissive of lay ministries within the Church as being rather secondary and unimportant, and a departure from the vision of the Vatican Council, which highlighted the call to holiness and ministry that belongs to each member of the Church by virtue of Baptism.
Cardinal Ratzinger responded that the instruction was intended to address problems which have arisen in certain European countries specifically, where, with the shortage of priests, there are more and more liturgies being celebrated on Sundays in the absence of a priest. In some places, the distinction between communion services and a full Eucharistic liturgy was being lost and a mentality developing which would posit that any baptized person could preside at Eucharist. Therefore, the thrust of the instruction is to safeguard the centrality of the Eucharist in the Christian life and the fact that only the ordained presbyter can celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice.
On a more positive note, the Cardinal spoke about the normative role of the laity in being about the work of evangelization and the transformation of the wider society and about the invaluable contributions of lay women and men in contributing to the liturgical and pastoral life of the Church in their roles as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, musicians, artists, catechists, teachers, and parish life directors.
At that juncture, Cardinal Ratzinger had to excuse himself for another meeting, but Archbishop Bertoni continued our dialogue, answering some questions about intercommunion. There are two viewpoints about the goal of intercommunion between Catholics and those of other Christian traditions. The first sees intercommunion as a step on the way to full unity among our respective faith traditions. The other views intercommunion as a tangible symbol of unity fully achieved. The Church holds to the second perspective and, hence, only allows intercommunion in certain specifically defined circumstances, which, however, have been extended in recent Church documents.
We next met with Archbishop Tauran of the Vatican Secretariat of State, who plays a major role in Vatican diplomatic relations with nations throughout the world. He gave glowing commendation to the bishops of our state and nation for the pastoral and social care extended to immigrants and migrant workers. Our track record in this arena is recognized by the Holy See as being superlative. The Archbishop was also grateful to the U.S. cardinals in particular and to our national conference for speaking out strongly for a diplomatic rather than military solution to the crisis in Iraq. He was upbeat about the negotiating efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and expressed the conviction that Annan's intervention shifted the focus from an American-Iraqi conflict to a controversy between the U.N. Security Council and Iraq which, the Archbishop suggests, is the appropriate venue for the crisis to be resolved.
Archbishop Tauran did indicate that the United Nations Secretary-General showed great sensitivity to the dignity and sovereignty of the Iraqi nation and people, which, at times, he believes has been missing in U.S.-Iraqi diplomacy.
Regarding a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, he was not very optimistic short range, since neither side has any trust in the peace process. Further, he expressed the hope that the Holy Father's recent visit to Cuba will provide a window of opportunity for the United States government to reconsider its embargo policy toward that island nation, and that within Cuba itself President Castro may come to see the Church as the only effective instrument to carry out the goals of his failed resolution: dignity for workers, strong family life and health benefits for all citizens. The transition from communism to a more mixed economy and democratic structures, however, he believes will only be achieved slowly.
Finally, Archbishop Tauran praised the work of the Committee on Social Development and World Peace of the United States Catholic Conference, and expressed the hope that its advocacy of polices in accord with the social teaching of the Church will remain a strong dimension of our Conference's activity.
Leaving the Office of the Secretariat of State, I headed for my appointment for the Holy Father, which was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Arriving at the bronze door to the Apostolic Palace, I was escorted by the Swiss guards to the Cortile of San Damaso and by various papal chamberlains through a labyrinth of striking marble audience halls to the papal apartments, where I was seated in an antechamber adjacent to the papal library.
The room was appointed with beautiful tapestries and pictures, including a striking portrait of St. John the Evangelist by the renowned artist El Greco, and two oil paintings, one of Peter holding the keys to the kingdom and the other of St. Paul clutching a sword.
When the Monsignor escorted me into the library, the Holy Father was seated at his desk beneath a striking modern portrait of the Resurrected Jesus emerging from the tomb. He looked much better in person than in recent photos and TV images. His skin was clear, with a pink tinge; his eyes, alert; and his voice, strong.
The Holy Father immediately put me at ease, asking me to locate Albany on the atlas lying on his desk and inquiring about the size and Catholic population of the Diocese. In response to his question, I noted that Albany is 150 miles north of New York. He asked me to translate that into kilometers. Flustered, I searched my mind frantically yet fruitlessly for the correct answer and then blurted out 600 kilometers (actually, it's about 240), or, I noted, about three hours by car. (My God, the Pope must think that I am a more reckless driver than even my unfortunate, albeit deserved reputation for pushing the speed limit warrants!)
Perhaps sensing my embarrassment and seeking to minimize it, our Holy Father commented on what a young bishop I am. He was quite surprised to learn I have been a bishop for 21 years, appointed by his predecessor, Pope Paul VI, in February 1977.
I shared with the Holy Father that Albany is the State Capitol and that as chair of the Public Policy Committee of the New York State Catholic Conference, I am called upon frequently to represent the position of the Church to the Governor's office and to legislative leaders.
He was interested in the number of seminarians studying for priesthood and what the prospects were for staffing our parishes in the future. I told him about the "Future Full of Hope" campaign (mentioned earlier in this diary) and the planning process we have just completed, designed to ensure the continuance of the Eucharist and sacramental life in each parish of our Diocese, given our projected shortage of ordained priests, at least for the immediate future.
Our Holy Father also inquired about the status of religious life and I shared with him that unfortunately vocations are few. I did point out, however, that religious continue to sponsor and administer a wide range of educational, healthcare and human service institutions in our Diocese, which now are mostly staffed by lay people. However, the religious are doing a fine job of imparting to the laity the Catholic identity and mission of their apostolates, so that the boards and staffs of these institutions still retain a commitment to their Catholicity.
The Pope was particularly interested in the Catholic school apostolate and was pleased to learn of the increased enrollment in our schools and the fact that in the past 15 months, there have been new additions to seven of our schools and a new high school is being erected.
At the conclusion of our meeting, the papal photographer came in for pictures and the Holy Father presented me with a handsome original edition of "The Catechism of the Catholic Church," ten rosaries and a stack of beautiful holy cards as a memento of our visit.
Although our conversation was general in nature, the Pope's interest was lively and keen. It is amazing to think that with all of the demands upon him and given his own failing health, he continues to devote such personal attention and commitment of time to each bishop who comes to Rome for his ad limina visit. That, I believe, is an evidence of his deep love for the Church, his spirit of collegiality, and his desire to confirm and support the bishops of the world in their apostolic mission.
After an hiatus of about an hour, the ten bishops who had appointments with the Pope during the course of the morning joined him for a four-course luncheon (in Italy, the main meal being served at midday).
From experience, I know people are eager to learn what is served at the papal table. In addition to the breadsticks, red wine and bottled water at each place, we were treated to an appetizer of prosciutto, salami and mushrooms; a second course of brioche (a kind of light crust meat pie); an entree of beef with broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots and roasted potatoes; and a delicious apple doughnut for dessert with espresso to conclude the meal (which I declined, being a non-coffee drinker). I am sure that this is the best and most memorable Mardi Gras I will ever have.
Cardinal O'Connor kicked off the luncheon with a toast to Msgr. Stanislaus Divish, the Pope's secretary who has just been appointed a bishop and will be ordained on March 19. When the Cardinal asked our Holy Father who is responsible for this appointment, the Pope responded, "Why, the Holy Spirit, of course."
Table conversation centered largely around the Pope's recent trip to Cuba. The Holy Father was interested to hear how people in the United States reacted to the visit and its purpose, and was pleased to learn of the positive coverage given to the visit, both in the electronic and print media. When a number of the bishops commended him for the hope that he brought to the Cuban people and the courage he showed in challenging Castro's repression of religious freedom and human rights, our Holy Father responded simply: "It's not my doing; it is the power of the Gospel."
We shared with the Holy Father the moral issues we are confronting statewide and nationally, in particular the problems of partial-birth abortion, a growing euthanasia movement and the new phenomenon of human cloning.
The Pope for his part expressed his sincere desire for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Iraq and support for the diplomatic initiative of the United Nation's Secretary Kofi Annan. He also expressed to Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of the Military Ordinariate his commendation for the peacekeeping efforts of the U.S. troops in Bosnia.
The Pope was also very interested in the pastoral responses which were being developed for the growing Hispanic population in the United States and our efforts to evangelize the young.
In closing, he promised to pray in a special way for the people of the Ogdensburg Diocese devastated by the ice storm and asked Bishop Loverde of Ogdensburg to bring his special apostolic blessing to the victims of this natural disaster.
After the meal, we adjourned to the Holy Father's chapel for a short period of prayer. As we departed, he bade us adieu -- but not without presenting us with another gift: a sterling silver pectoral cross adorned with the crucified Christ.
The meal itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. As I watched the Pope move slowly to his private quarters, leaning upon the cane, which he requires as a result of a fairly recent hip operation but which he rarely uses in public, I was struck by the incredible stamina of this man, who had been going since six this morning and still had appointments lined up until late in the evening. There can be no question in the mind of anyone who encounters him that Pope John Paul II is truly a man consumed with love for God and driven to proclaim the Good News to the entire world.
While the personal visit and luncheon with the Pope were certainly the highlight of the day, and indeed of the whole ad limina visit, there was still another meeting this day. Namely, with Archbishop Javier Lozano, head of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers. We shared with him that in the present environment wherein the Church is striving to maintain health care as a ministry in a very aggressive business context of competition, it is important that any request made to the Holy See by sponsors of Catholic healthcare facilities, either to sell their properties or to merge with other entities, should be acted upon only after consultation with the bishop in the diocese affected. Otherwise, what might make sense from a business perspective could jeopardize the future of Catholic health care in a given region.
We also shared with the Archbishop the efforts of the eight dioceses of New York State to establish Fidelis Health Care, a managed care organization designed to provide comprehensive health care for Medicaid recipients. This is the first time that the state's bishops have worked together across diocesan lines to ensure that we can continue to maintain our historic commitment to serve the poor, sick, infirm and disabled.
We also related that since government regulations and insurance companies are forcing people to leave our hospitals "quicker and sicker," we are striving to recruit volunteers from our parishes to care for those who are discharged from hospitals but still very much in need of supportive services.
Archbishop Lozano seemed very impressed with the visionary way the dioceses of our Province are trying to cope with the rapidly changing healthcare environment and urged us to publish our efforts as a model for other dioceses throughout the United States and the world.
After such a long and jam-packed day, I welcomed the opportunity to unwind with a leisurely supper shared with Bishop John Dunne, an auxiliary for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and a friend of his, Father Joe Agius, a Dominican priest who teaches Scripture at the Angelicum University in Rome. Father Agius has spent many years in seminary education and formation, and it was most informative to hear his insights on the changing character of the candidates and of the formation process itself over the past three decades.
***
ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Along with the students of the College and the Institute for Continuing Education, I journeyed to the Church of Santa Sabina, the station church for Ash Wednesday (a different church in Rome is designated as a station church for each day of the Lenten season), for a 7 a.m. liturgy inaugurating the sacred season of Lent.
This church, popularly known as the gem of the Aventine Hill, was built between 422 and 432 and renovated by Popes Gregory the Great in 602 and Eusebius II in 825. It is noted for its fifth-century wooden doors carved with scenes from the Old and New Testament, its fifth-century Ravenna-type mosaics and 24 fluted Corinthian columns.
This afternoon, the Pope would be present here to celebrate Ash Wednesday services; but this morning, Archbishop O'Brien of the Archdiocese for Military Services led us in the Eucharistic liturgy, including the distribution of ashes, which serve as a reminder of the Lenten call "to repent and believe the Good News."
I offered the Mass today for Father Bernard Gustas, pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Schenectady, who passed away last week after a long and courageous battle with cancer of the mouth and larynx. I felt bad that I was unable to preside at his funeral liturgy last Saturday.
Actually, amidst all the hubbub of activity associated with the ad limina visit, this simple, yet solemn liturgy was a wonderful opportunity to recall that the mission of the Church first and foremost must be about knowing and loving Jesus, and then sharing His salvific message with others. To do that, however, we ourselves must be engaged in a constant process of conversion and transformation as we strive to grow evermore in the likeness of Christ and to make His Gospel a lived reality in our world.
Over the next 40 days, all of us in the Church must be searching our minds and hearts so that we will be prepared spiritually to renew our baptismal vows at the Easter feast: the vow of rejecting the ways of the world with its power and riches, and its glitter and its gold...the vow of loving as Jesus loved and forgiving as He forgave...and the vow of boldly avoiding that which is in vogue, while embracing a counterculture lifestyle, even if that means we and our Christian values and ideals may be ridiculed, scorned and rejected.
Hopefully, I along with all believers in Jesus will walk the road of Lent with humility, sincerity and an openness to conversion and rebirth.
At 9:30 a.m., we met with Cardinal Pio Laghi, the former Apostolic Pro-Nuncio for the United States (for ten years) and now prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education. It has the enormous task of overseeing all the Catholic seminaries, colleges, universities, high schools and grammar schools throughout the world.
The Cardinal and the staff did most of the talking. They shared their plans for a special course they will be providing to assist seminary rectors and spiritual directors in fulfilling their awesome responsibility in preparing candidates for priestly ministry. They also indicated that within the month, their congregation, in conjunction with the Congregation for the Clergy, will be issuing new guidelines for the selection and formation of permanent deacons in the Church.
The Cardinal encouraged us to be very pro-active in working with the presidents of Catholic colleges to ensure the Catholic identity and character of our institutions of higher education, and indicated that a set of ordinances or norms is being drafted to facilitate this communication.
I was pleased to note the concern that the staff of the Congregation expressed for Catholic students matriculating at secular campuses. They urged us to provide chaplains who would both attend to the spiritual needs of these students as well as provide them with a literacy in Church teaching commensurate with their competence in secular subjects.
Cardinal Laghi concluded our meeting by praising Catholics in the United States for their sacrificial efforts to maintain our Catholic high schools and grammar schools, especially for the poor in our inner-city areas.
Later in the day, we met with the staff of the Apostolic Signatura. This is a most important but little-known Roman Dicastery, which functions as the supreme tribunal in the Church (analogous to the Supreme Court in our United States). It handles all appeals relative to marriage annulments; it moderates the exercise of due process procedures both within Vatican congregations and in dioceses; and it adjudicates administrative controversies within the Church. For example, when some parishes in the city of Hudson challenged my decision to merge into one the three parishes in that community, their appeal was first forwarded to the Congregation for the Clergy. After that Congregation upheld my action, its decision affirming that I had acted correctly within my competence was further appealed to the Signatura for a final determination.
Most of our discussion with the staff of the Signatura centered around the annulment process in the United States and the insistence of the Signatura that all decisions declaring a marriage null must be reviewed by an independent Court of Second Instance. This we have been doing, I might add at considerable cost in terms of providing trained canonists and staffing two independent courts. However, the Signatura's concern for due process and absolute fairness provided to all parties to the annulment procedure is well taken, and we are pleased for the guidance and assistance that they offer us.
In keeping with the Lenten spirit of sacrifice, I got back to jogging today and of course, with all Christians throughout the world, observed Ash Wednesday as a day of fast and abstinence -- meaning no seconds on pasta. Now that's penance!
***
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
If anyone is still reading this diary and has a remedy for combating jet lag, please send me the formula. Usually after this many days, my body has accommodated to the change, but last night was another torturous one of only three hours' sleep.
The fitful night, however, gave way to a gorgeous day, with a brilliant blue sky, radiant sunshine and a pleasant cool breeze. Our first meeting of the day was with the Congregation for Bishops, where the African Cardinal Bernard Gantin serves as prefect, assisted by Archbishop Mejia. The Cardinal opened our session by reminding us of our primary duty as bishops to be teachers of the faith. He also spoke about the recent Synod of the Americas, wherein bishop representatives from North, Central and South America met in Rome for a month to make recommendations for greater intercontinental cooperation. He specifically urged the bishops of the United States to use any influence we have to obtain relief from the monetary debts so many of the underdeveloped countries of the hemisphere are struggling with at the cost of tremendous suffering for the citizens of these nations. The idea of an exchange of seminarians between countries in North and South America was also strongly recommended by the Synod.
We also touched on the painful issue of pedophilia and the scandal it creates for the Church when a priest violates the sacred bond of trust he must have with all his people, but especially children. We urged the Congregation to expedite the process of involuntary laicization for recalcitrant priests, few as they are.
The bulk of our conversation, however, centered around the process for the nomination of bishops and the responsibility that bishops have in dioceses and provinces to make the screening of potential candidates for the episcopal office a top priority. The starting point for the process is the Apostolic Pro Nuncio, who is to solicit the names of qualified candidates from each of the provinces into which the United States is divided ecclesiastically. The metropolitan (the Archbishop of the Province) and all his suffragan bishops bear the responsibility for compiling a list of candidates, which should be done in a limited consultation with the priests, religious and laity of the respective dioceses within the Province.
When a diocese is vacant, the nuncio compiles a "terna," or list of three candidates from the names that have been submitted; and then a more in-depth consultation on these three candidates is conducted. Once this process is complete, the nuncio submits the terna of three candidates in rank order to the Congregation for Bishops. The 30-plus members of the Congregation meet twice monthly to review the nominations submitted and to express their opinion about each of the candidates proposed.
Each Saturday, Cardinal Gantin meets with the Holy Father to share the results of the deliberations about the appointment for a given diocese. Sometimes, the Pope accepts the recommendation immediately; sometimes, he asks the appointment to be delayed for further consideration and reflection on his part; at other times, he requests that the search begin anew.
It was helpful for all the bishops present to come to a deeper understanding of this process and of our serious obligation to work diligently in the surfacing and screening of potential candidates.
Cardinal Gantin concluded our session by requesting that dioceses which intend to conduct their own synods do so in accord with the norms promulgated by this Congregation.
Next, we journeyed to the other side of St. Peter's piazza to meet with Archbishop John Foley, the head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication. He is from Philadelphia, and he and I served together for a number of years on the Communications Committee of the United States Catholic Conference.
The meeting took place in a room where the Pope occasionally views films, and which, at one time, served as the headquarters for compiling and disseminating information about prisoners of war during World War II.
Archbishop Foley outlined the five major responsibilities of his council.
* First, to set up satellite links for papal services (for example, the Christmas and Easter Masses and Good Friday services). These are made available both through the networks and cable TV stations.
* Second, to authorize the credentialing for all radio, TV and film people who seek to cover the Vatican (for example, at the Consistory this past weekend, more than 200 TV people from all across the globe were credentialed).
* Third, to develop policy statements for the Church on a variety of communication issues. By way of illustration, the Archbishop gave us copies of three recent statements: on pornography and violence in the media; on ethics in advertising; and on criteria for ecumenical and interfaith cooperation in the media.
* Fourth, to maintain contact with the communication offices of the episcopal conferences throughout the world.
* Fifth, to sponsor world communication day, generally celebrated on the Sunday between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost.
In addition to those general tasks, the Archbishop handles all kinds of communication issues for the Vatican. He praised the United States bishops for the high quality of diocesan newspapers they publish -- the best in the world -- and urged us to consider using radio more for reaching large numbers of targeted audiences relatively inexpensively.
Finally, we discussed the problems created by the coverage of Church issues offered by some extremist papers and newsletters both on the left and the right.
Archbishop Foley is obviously a competent professional in media relations, and the Church is most fortunate to have a man of his breadth of background and experience in this very critical position.
When we exited the Archbishop's office, Susan Koeppen and her cameraman, Todd, were waiting to get a reaction to my meeting with the Holy Father. As they were conducting the interview in St. Peter's Square, I was both surprised and amused by the number of tourists who stopped to take pictures of the scene, probably thinking they were capturing on film one of the "pezzi grossi" (big cheeses) from the Vatican.
In late afternoon, we journeyed to the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls to pray at the tomb of the great apostle to the Gentiles. This Basilica is less known than St. Peter's but is the next largest church in the city, and is truly dazzling in its size, architecture and artwork. Portraits of all the popes from Peter to John Paul II in sequential order can be seen throughout this huge edifice. Another wonderful masterpiece annexed to the Basilica is its superb early 13th-century cloister.
Early in the day, I received word that James Broderick, the father of Father Richard Broderick of St. Mary's in Crescent, had passed away and that the day before, his mother had been hospitalized with a stroke. I offered Mass for their intentions and that of the Broderick family in their time of such great heartache.
Bishop John McGann of Rockville Centre celebrated the Mass and preached the homily. Understandably, his theme was evangelization because Paul was the great evangelizer who brought the Good News of Jesus' passover from death unto life to the Gentile nations.
The task of evangelization -- of introducing people to Jesus and His message -- remains at the heart of the Church's mission and is urgently needed today, given the growing secularization throughout our nation and world, and the alienation from or indifference to religious practice on the part of so many Catholics. This thrust of reaching out to the unchurched, alienated and fallen away will be a major part of our upcoming millennium observance; and I prayed at Paul's tomb for the success of this critical endeavor.
Our day concluded with a reception for all the bishops on our ad limina visit, hosted by the staff of Villa Strich. The Villa houses 27 American priests who serve in one or another of the Roman congregations. Although we have met many of them formally during our congregational visits, it was a pleasure to interact with them on an informal basis and to express personally our gratitude to them for the service they render the universal Church, often in an unsung or unappreciated role.
On the way home from the Villa, Bishop Clark and I stopped for a light supper at a little restaurant on the Pia Borgo, near the Vatican.
***
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Ah, blessed relief -- a full night of sleep! For the first time, the alarm ringing at 6:15 woke me up from slumber. This morning, all the bishops assembled at the bronze door at the Apostolic Palace at 7:10 for Mass with our Holy Father. The elevators were not yet working, so it was a good five-or six-minute climb to the Piazza of San Domaso to get to the papal apartments.
After vesting in the anteroom, we were escorted to the Pope's private chapel where he was already engaged in prayer and meditation. After about five minutes, he rose from his prie-dieu and said to us: "Sia laudato Gesu Christo" (Praised be Jesus Christ) to which we responded: "Sempre, sia laudato" (May He always be praised).
The chapel is dominated by a crucifix and a painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The reading from the Scriptures today, the Friday after Ash Wednesday, was particularly fitting, I believe, for us in our role as pastors of the Church: "This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed. Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!" (Isaiah 58:6-9)
I was moved during the Eucharistic prayer when we prayed for the Holy Father since I was standing by the side of the Vicar of Christ in offering the Eucharistic sacrifice. Bishop Ahern of the Archdiocese of New York led us in singing the hymns and responses of the liturgy.
Afterward, we all gathered in the papal library for a group photo with His Holiness. Cardinal O'Connor spoke on behalf of all in thanking the Holy Father for his gracious hospitality to us during the week. The Cardinal compared our ad limina visit to the renewal of marriage vows whereby we bishops recommitted ourselves to the vows we spoke on the day of episcopal ordination, and reaffirmed our loyalty to the Pope and our solidarity with him in carrying out the pastoral mission of the Church.
John Paul II responded by thanking us for coming to Rome and presented us individually with a written allocution, which is the first of 13 which he will present to the bishops of the United States in the course of the various ad limina visits throughout this year and which, in aggregate, will constitute the Holy Father's message to the hierarchy of the United States. Let me just highlight a few of the points he made in this written presentation:
"I express my thanks to you and your brother bishops (throughout the United States) for the spiritual friendship and the communion in faith and love which unite us in the service of the Gospel....All through the years of my pontificate, I have had countless opportunities to experience the characteristic love and solidarity of the Catholics of the United States for the successor of St. Peter. In this year of preparation for the great jubilee, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, I pray that 'the Lord and giver of life' will reward the Church in the United States with His strengthening and consoling gifts."
Addressing himself to the millennium, our Holy Father said: "The great jubilee of the year 2000 will be a time of unique blessings for the Church and for the world, a grace already prepared by that extraordinary ecclesial event of recent times, the Second Vatican Council....It is fitting that our preparation for the jubilee should involve a serious meditation on how we as bishops have received and implemented the rich body of teaching elaborated by the council fathers."
The Holy Father stated that the greatest challenge before us as bishops in the Church is to respond to a people yearning for salvation. He noted that "the great truth to be proclaimed to this and every age is that God has entered human history so that men and women can truly become children of God....This is the heart of the Christian message and the essential truth which bishops must preach 'in season and out of season'" (2 Timothy 4:2).
The Pope urged us as bishops to be faithful to the word of God for "holy Scripture is a gift which we receive within the Church. It is not merely a 'text' to be analyzed; it is above all an invitation to communion with the Lord. It must be read and received in a spirit of openness to that invitation." Our Holy Father paid special tribute to the many excellent Catholic exegetes and theologians in the United States who have been untiring in their efforts to help Christian people to understand more clearly the word of God in the Scriptures. We as bishops and teachers must be faithful to that word by "teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully."
Our Holy Father reminded us that the Gospel message remains ever the same, yet must be proclaimed in the culture which is undergoing constant transformation.
We as bishops, then, need to reflect on the dynamics of contemporary culture in order to discern the signs of the times which affect the proclamation of Christ's saving message. In particular, we must communicate those basic truths about the sacred dignity of the human person; a dignity which the Pope laments is not seen today in greater respect for human rights, in an overdue recognition of the equal dignity of women or in the rejection of violenc e as a means of resolving conflict.
The Pope noted that the Catholic community in the United States is faced with the challenge of proclaiming that "Jesus Christ is the one savior of the world, yesterday, today and forever" in a climate of radical skepticism, a climate that "can lead to the assumption that the Church is marginal to contemporary life" or to "the notion that Catholicism, and indeed Christianity as a whole, is merely one from among many of the generic human reality called 'religion.'"
However, "this is not the message of the Second Vatican Council, which boldly proclaimed the centrality for human history of Jesus Christ and the essential mission of the Church to preach the Gospel to all nations....The Church is sent to the world with a proposal: that the world can understand its history and its aspirations most adequately, most truthfully through the Gospel."
Faced with a modernity which has lost the capacity to bring about the complete liberation of every man and woman, the Church, especially through her pastors, must teach that "the liberating capacities of science, technology, work, economics and political activity will produce results only if they find their inspiration and measure in the truth and love revealed to men by Jesus Christ."
In other words, the Pope is telling us that as bishops, we must "engage modernity with the truth about the human condition, given to us in Jesus Christ, who is the answer to the question that is every human life. A bishop's task is none other than this: to be a convincing witness to and a courageous teacher of the truth that makes man free" (cf John 8:42).
Our Holy Father concluded his allocution by imparting "to each of you and to all the priests, religious and laity of your dioceses my apostolic blessing."
Bidding the Holy Father farewell, I felt a certain sadness, knowing that I had truly been in the presence of a man of God, yet given his age and precarious health, wondering whether he will still be on the throne of Peter when we come five years hence for our next ad limina visit.
After descending the stairs of the Piazza San Damaso, we saw our bus waiting to transport us to the Piazza San Calisto in Trastevere (literally, "across the Tiber River") for a meeting with Cardinal Francis Stafford, president of the Council for the Laity. We all congratulated him on his elevation as a Cardinal the previous weekend. Only two years removed as the Archbishop of Denver, he is fully conversant with the pastoral life of the Church in the United States. He praised us for our efforts in promoting life issues, especially on behalf of the unborn and terminally ill. He spoke about the dignity of the lay vocation to holiness and ministry flowing from Baptism, and urged us to ensure that we have programs for the ongoing education and formation of the lay faithful. Lastly, in his opening comments, Cardinal Stafford, who had organized World Youth Day held in Denver in 1993, encouraged us to lead delegates from our dioceses to the next World Youth Day to be held in Rome during the Jubilee year of 2000.
Cardinal O'Connor spoke about the need to rethink the shepherd/sheep image that is so often used in referring to the relationship between bishops and the lay faithful. Given the educational level of our Catholic laity today and their independence and self-sufficiency in a democratic, individualistic and highly secularized society, he asked the Council staff to develop language or imagery which might more appropriately reflect the increasing collaborative relationship which can and must exist between the pastors of the Church and the laity. He specifically suggested that "I no longer call you servants but friends," spoken by Christ to the Apostles in His final discourse at the Last Supper, might provide a hint what such a model should be.
Again, I raised a concern about the tone and substance of the recent instruction on the distinction between the ordained and non-ordained ministry, expressing my perception, and that of many others, that the document seems regressive, failing to appreciate the vision of lay ministry reflected in the documents of the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation "Christifideles Laici." I indicated that the instruction seemed to minimize the lay role in the Church as one to be exercised only when there was a shortage of priests, but not having its own unique and distinctive character.
More specifically, I noted that the Instruction's admonition that the title "chaplain" could not be given to the non-ordained created a major problem for us in the United States where so many non-ordained religious and laity have been rendering such invaluable service as chaplains in schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, jails and prisons.
Cardinal Stafford responded that he appreciated the concern expressed. He stressed that the instruction was in no way intended to downgrade the importance of lay ministry or the strides that have been made in appreciating the gifts, talents and charisms that the laity have to bring to the Church. Like Cardinal Ratzinger in our meeting with the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith earlier in the week, Cardinal Stafford indicated that the genesis of this instruction was to address abuses which have arisen in certain countries other than the United States. For example, in certain places where the non-ordained are serving as administrators in priestless parishes, there have been instances when they have been hearing confessions or administering the rite for the Anointing of the Sick. Those sacramental functions can only be exercised by the ordained.
Cardinal Stafford emphasized, therefore, that the instruction was not meant to break new ground, but only to reiterate existing canonical legislation and to correct abuses which have arisen in some places.
Coming from the United States himself, Cardinal Stafford realizes the problem created by prohibiting the usage of the title "chaplain" for the non-ordained. The conclusion of our discussion is that the instruction, while reminding us of some fundamental theological and canonical distinctions between the ordained and non-ordained, is not truly adequate for our situation in the United States, and modification and clarification need to be made in light of our lived pastoral realities. It was noted that a special committee of bishops, representing various disciplines in theology, pastoral practice and canon law, has been appointed by the President of our Bishops' Conference to study the instruction and to draw out the implications for its application in the United States.
Later in the morning, we met with Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos from Colombia, the prefect for the Congregation for the Clergy. It has responsibility for overseeing the formation of priests and deacons; catechesis, especially for adults; and addressing certain issues, such as the closing or merging of parishes.
The Cardinal, I was pleased to hear, encouraged pastoral planning, such as we have been doing in our own Diocese for the past several years. He also resonated with the concern we had expressed with the Apostolic Signatora about the ability of bishops to address more aggressively the question of pedophilia, especially when priests are recalcitrant. There is a tension between the right of a priest to due process in the face of an accusation of misconduct and the need to protect the faithful from inappropriate behavior. Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos pledged his support to work with the other congregations having competency in this matter and with the Holy Father to bring about the changes in canon law which will afford bishops the tools needed to act quickly and effectively in dealing with this sensitive issue.
He also spoke glowingly about the development of the permanent diaconate in the United States and stated that a new directory on the formation and ministry of deacons will be issued on March 10, stressing both the deacon's liturgical and sacramental role as well as his role to be an instrument for promoting social justice and charity within the Church.
Cardinal Castrillon also addressed the instruction on the distinction between the ordained and non-ordained, and stated that this document was not meant to stifle the growth of the lay ministry but to insure that the laity and non-ordained religious do not usurp roles or responsibilities which are reserved properly and exclusively for deacons, priests and bishops.
A final point he made is the importance of the new Catechetical Directory, which he hopes we bishops will adopt to our pastoral life in the United States. I was pleased to note that the bishops of New York State are well underway in this project, and expect to have our text available for pastors and catechists before the end of this year.
This was the last of our visits to the Vatican Congregations. I found the officials at the various congregations to be most hospitable and receptive to our needs and concerns. All listened attentively, probed for a better understanding of the issues we raised and promised to follow through when specific action was requested.
The responsibility for developing norms, guidelines and protocol for a Church as immense as ours, with over a billion Catholics worldwide, coming from all kinds of social, ethnic, racial, cultural and national backgrounds, is complex and almost overwhelming. I have a renewed appreciation both for the magnitude of their task and the sincerity of their efforts to be of service to local churches throughout the world.
Father Russo and I were invited for dinner at St. Onofrio's Monastery, also located on the Janiculum Hill near the North American College. Father Jim Puglisi, an Amsterdam native and an Atonement friar, lives at St. Onofrio's and directs the Ecumenical Institute in Rome. He and Father Blaze, a classmate of the Pope from their student days at the Angelicum in Rome, proved to be wonderful hosts. It was uplifting to learn of Father Puglisi's work in promoting Christian unity and in serving as a consultant for various ecumenical initiatives of the Holy See. We can be proud of the splendid work this native son is performing in seeking to fulfill the urgent plea of Christ "that they all may be one so that the world will believe that it is you who have sent me."
Bishop Clark and I drew the day to a close with a walk to the Piazza Navona, my favorite in Rome, where we treated ourselves to the famous gelato (ice cream) sold near the square. We also wandered over to the Trevi Fountain, magnificently illuminated and alive with tourists from all over the globe, especially the young. As promised, I tossed a coin into the fountain for my barber and friend Dominic Colarusso, with a prayer that he will fulfill his lifelong dream of visiting the Eternal City.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
The last day in Rome -- and one without any scheduled meetings or appointments. Che goia, che felicita! I've decided to indulge myself with a nostalgic walking tour of some of my most treasured sites in Rome.
David LeFort's sister, Teresa Dorsey, arrived last evening for a week's visit. Together, the three of us set out at 8:15 a.m. for the Vatican Museum. The line at the entranceway took about 20 minutes to maneuver. Believe me, it was more than worth the wait! While one could spend days and months just feasting upon the historical artifacts, sculptures, tapestries, frescoes and paintings both sacred and secular sprinkled throughout the museum, today I had but one mission: to visit the Sistine Chapel, restored so splendidly in recent years, bringing out the pristine luster of the masterpieces crafted by Michelangelo and his fellow artists.
I marveled at the vivid colors of the restored walls and ceiling of the Chapel, bounded by the portrayal of the Last Judgment on one end and of the Resurrection on the other, and crowned by that breathtaking visualization at the center of the ceiling of the artist's conception of creation, as the finger of God the Father touches that of the naked Adam. This poignant portrayal alone affords the meditation of a lifetime.
Jonas and Zechariah loom as the largest figures in the chapel; and among the many biblical scenes depicting the history of salvation, I was particularly moved by the passage of the Red Sea, Moses receiving the tables of the law on Mt. Sinai, Christ calling Peter and Andrew to be fishers of men, the Sermon on the Mount, the handing over of the keys to St. Peter, and the Last Supper.
It is amid this fantastic panoply of color and imagery that the cardinal electors will convene to select the next successor of Peter.
Bidding farewell to David and Teresa, I made my way around the Vatican Wall and followed the tunnel connecting the Apostolic Palace with the imposing Castel San Angelo, formerly the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian, poised on the banks of the Tiber and utilized by Pope Pius IX as a place of refuge at the time of the seizure of the Papal States in the latter part of the 19th century.
Crossing over the Corso Victor Emmanuel, I passed by the Chiesa Nuova where St. Philip Neri launched his innovative spiritual renewal following the Reformation.
Detouring to the Campo dei Fiori, I encountered the open-air market, featuring row after row of merchants peddling fresh fruits and vegetables, spring flowers, freshly cut meats and fish shipped in that morning, T-shirts, sweaters, and jewelry and trinkets of every size, shape and form.
Cutting back to the Corso, I stopped in the Basilica of San Andrea Della Valle, a jewel of a baroque church which serves as a setting for a famous opera.
Wandering through the narrow cobblestone streets of this ancient part of this city, I came upon the famous Pantheon, that Greek Temple built in 27 B.C. in honor of all the gods (hence its name). In 609, however, it was consecrated as a Christian church by Pope Boniface IV. Its spectacular hemispherical dome, illuminated by a central aperture some nine meters in diameter, is a wonder of architectural ingenuity; and its grandeur of mass and gracefulness of line are truly awe-inspiring.
Immediately around the corner from the Pantheon is the Piazza Minerva, dominated by a sixth-century B.C. Egyptian obelisk supported on the back of Bernini's marble elephant. To the right of the obelisk is the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, erected in the eighth century over the ruins of a temple dedicated to Minerva. I remember that during my student days, we would stop by this church when it was being utilized to film the movie, "The Cardinal."
A few blocks over is the Church of St. San Ignatio di Loyola, where I was ordained to the priesthood on December 18, 1963. Of the ten people who traveled from the States to attend my ordination, seven are deceased: my mother, Alice and Margaret Brown, Peg and Al Murphy, and Ken Doyle Sr. and his daughter Sally. I offered a prayer for the repose of their souls. The other attendees -- my aunt, Loretta Burke; Father Ken Doyle; and his mother, Sally -- still grace my life. I am so grateful these family members and friends were able to celebrate with me on the most important day of my life.
Little did I realize on that cold December morning nearly 35 years ago the marvelous vistas the Lord would open to me as a presbyter serving the Diocese of Albany: as an associate pastor at our Cathedral and principal of its grammar school...as chaplain to the Albany Business College...as founder of Providence House and Hope House...as director of the Priests' Personnel Board and the office of Pastoral Planning...as chair-person for our Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs...and as diocesan Bishop.
Each of those ministries has been a grace-filled opportunity and I have gained from those whom I have been privileged to serve so much more than I could ever hope to give.
I was pleased that this Church of St. Ignatio, built in the 17th century, has been restored so beautifully with its vivid frescoes and feigned cupola, which is a masterful optical illusion. The church houses the tombs of Saints John Berchmans, Aloysius Gonzaga and Robert Bellarmine, a hero and patron for one of my predecessors, Bishop Edmund Gibbons.
A brisk walk from St. Ignatio through the commercial section of the city, with its upscale boutiques, antique shops, cafes and fashionable clothing stores, landed me at the elegant and scenic Piazza di Spagna. The soul of the Piazza consists of the Spanish steps, which rise through three terraces to the top: the Piazza Trinita dei Monti. The Piazza today, as always, is thronged with young people, tourists and artists selling their wares.
By this time, it was well past noon, and I was scheduled to meet Father Brad Mulinski at the Piazza di Apostoli at 12:30. I rushed past the Gregorian University, where I studied theology for four years, and the Casa Santa Maria, the original Northern American College, which is now the graduate house of studies for American priests and where Father Tom Powers formerly served as superior. I am sure he will be pleased to learn that the memory and reputation of his good friend, Paolo Pucherelli, are still very much alive.
Arriving breathlessly at the Church of the Twelve Apostles, I was disappointed that it was already closed for siesta, because I wanted to visit this place where I received minor orders and was ordained a sub-deacon and deacon. Father Brad and I, however, were able to enjoy a delightful lunch, sitting amidst the bright sunshine flooding the outdoor terrace of Scharra's Trattoria.
Like Father Pugliese, Father Brad is a native of Amsterdam and serves as a priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. Coincidentally, I ordained him to the priesthood four-and-a-half years ago, on the very morning I departed for my last ad limina visit.
Father Mulinski is pursuing graduate studies in Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. This degree is perhaps the most demanding of all the ecclesiastical sciences. In addition to the two years of work he has done to date in the study of Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, he still must master French and Syriac, as well as the exegesis of the books of the Old and New Testaments.
However, he seems to be thriving on the regimen and looks forward to sharing his research and scholarship in the future with theology students and laity who are looking for programs of adult education. I know his intensive studies at this juncture will bear rich fruit in his priestly ministry in the days ahead.
After lunch, I had hoped to visit the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, which I could see from my vantage point near the renowned Piazza Venezia, but my tired feet and drooping spirits dictated that discretion was the better part of valor; so I saluted these venerable sights from a distance and headed back to the college.
At dusk I drove with Father Russo, David LeFort and his sister, Teresa Dorsey, for Mass at the altar of the North American Martyrs in the crypt of the college. It was very special for me, having just concluded our Sesquicentennial year, to celebrate Mass at this altar dedicated to those saints who walked our own Mohawk Valley and whose blood has been the seed of the faith in our own Diocese and in the North American continent.
We prayed together for our Holy Father, for the catechumens and candidates of our Diocese who began their formal period of preparation for being baptized or accepted in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and for all of God's people in the Church at Albany that we might heed the Lenten call to conversion and to a deeper living out of our Christian discipleship.
Our last evening in Rome was spent at the restaurant of Cecilia Metella (taken from the name of the woman buried in the huge 68 B.C. mausoleum located on the restaurant's grounds). It lies on the Villa Appia Antica, outside the walls of the old city. It is along this road that the early Christian martyrs are buried and where, later, the catacombs served as a refuge for Christians who hid in the labyrinthian passageways to escape persecution and to pray together.
Just before the restaurant is the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. It derives its name from the question that St. Peter, on his escape from the Memertime Prison, reputably placed to Christ whom he met as he fled along the Appian Way: "Lord, where are you going?" To which Jesus replied, "I am going to Rome to be crucified a second time." Peter then returned to Rome to be with his people and to experience his own martyrdom.
The ten of us, gathered from Albany and Rochester, enjoyed our meal together, especially the house specialty: "scrino," which is served here uniquely. The TV crew was relaxed, their work complete, and we just reminisced about the events of the week.
***
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
The trip to the airport by minibus offered me the opportunity to gain a final view of St. Peter's Basilica, the Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Coliseum, the Circus Maximus and the Aventine Hills.
As I nestled in my seat for the transatlantic flight, I had nothing but pleasant memories of the past ten days. I was especially pleased to learn from our interaction with the various Roman congregations that the priorities we have set for ourselves as a Diocese are in accord with the vision of the Church Universal: promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, pastoral planning, evangelization, ongoing education and faith formation opportunities for all within the Church, especially through the support of Catholic schools and adult education, youth ministry, a commitment to social justice and care for the poor and needy, and a focus on the Eucharist as a center of our life together as a faith community.
Personally, I feel renewed in my ministry as a successor of the Apostles and bonded firmly with the Vicar of Christ, John Paul II. I pray for his health and well-being, and for the fulfillment of his fervent dream to shepherd the Church into the new millennium.
Finally, I hope that the great jubilee, for which we as a Diocese are preparing through Renew 2000 or other millennium programs, will be a time of a new pentecost for the entire Church as we seek to respond to the power which the Holy Spirit desires to unleash within us and, through us, to the whole Church and the entire world.
As the droning of the jet's engines lulled me to sleep, I had but one unanswered question preying on my mind: How were the Siena Saints paired in the MAAC tournament at the Pepsi Arena and would I have the thrill of watching them in the finals on Monday evening?