The importance of our archbishop
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Send to friendThe installation of a new archbishop is truly a momentous occasion for our archdiocese. The ceremony itself testifies to the ancient history, tradition and mystically communal ethos of the Church. It is a witness to a central teaching of Catholicism: apostolic succession — a reality which modern society has difficulty comprehending.
The Catholic bishop inherits in a direct line from Christ and the apostles the duties and character of the apostolic office. The bishop, the shepherd, should exemplify the epitome of Christian service and self-sacrifice. Like the priesthood, the episcopal (bishop’s) office is central to the preservation and continuation of Church teaching in every era of history and societal change.
As we have seen in recent days, the teaching office of the bishop is crucial to Catholic identity in a secular culture that frequently is blinded by the secular or the worldly. In our day, strong episcopal teaching is necessary especially concerning the life issues from conception to birth, the meaning and indissolubility of marriage and the meaning of human sexuality. The bishop, in concert with his brother bishops and the pope, clarifies through special graces given to him during both his episcopal ordination and his installation the relevance of Church teaching for our time. Such leadership is needed in our time for the whole of society, not simply within the Church.
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