The times in which we live are not ordinary times. In almost every segment of our society, a new spirit seems to be at work. Because of its inquisitiveness, because of its refusal to accept things until it can be shown that they are relevant to the problem at hand, because of its insistence that everyone be given an opportunity to be heard, it is a spirit which has jolted our complacency.

This spirit is as much at work today in the Church as it is elsewhere. The late Pope John XXIII, who was so sensitive to human needs and aspirations, detected it, understood it and, fortunately, did something about it. He realized in a way which was truly exceptional that the Gospel message still had meaning for the people of today. If that message was not understood; if it seemed to have lost its relevance to the needs and problems of modern man, it was only because the incrustations of times and cultures different from our own had hidden its essential beauty and meaning. He knew that God was not dead, or dying. It only seemed so to some people because their vision had been blurred by certain things which no longer appealed or made sense to them.

It was for this reason that Pope John called the Ecumenical Council and that our present Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, immediately reconvened it after John’s death. Pope John stated in his opening address in 1962:

Illuminated by the light of this Council, the Church -- we confidently trust -- will become greater in spiritual riches and, gaining the strength of new energies there from, she will look to the future without fear. In fact, by bringing herself up to date where required, and by the wise organization of mutual cooperation, the Church will make men, families and peoples really turn their minds to heavenly things.

For the benefit of those who feared that the Church’s doctrine would suffer in the process, he stated that the Church “would never depart from the sacred patrimony of truth received from the Fathers.” He immediately added, however, “But at the same time she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions and new forms of life introduced into the modern world which have opened new avenues to the Catholic apostolate.” And later, in the same talk, he said this in connection, “The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another.”

If there is one idea which runs through the sixteen conciliar documents like a thread, giving them a certain unity and putting them in a proper perspective, it is surely the pastoral tone of the renewal which must take place in every phase of the Church’s life and work. The Church, while ever remaining a society with the structure and laws common to all societies, is fundamentally the presence of God’s merciful action among men. The Church, in other words, is people; people who have been created by God according to His image and likeness; people who turned away from God because of sin but who are now reunited with him in friendship because of their Redemption by Christ, the Son of God. The Church is people who, day by day, in the liturgy, in their homes, in their work and in their relationships with the other members of the community in which they live, encounter the God of love, the God of mercy and forgiveness, the God who gives them, through grace, a new life. Moreover, these people understand that while they are expected to contribute their talents and energies toward the betterment of the world, this world is really not their final home. They are a people on pilgrimage who will attain their final destiny, full perfection, only in the glory of heaven.

Everything, therefore, which deserves the name Christian must be geared toward helping -- toward serving -- God’s people. This was surely Our Lord’s understanding of his role in the history of man’s salvation. St. Luke records the following exchange between Christ and his apostles shortly before the Crucifixion:

Now there arose also a dispute among them, which of them was reputed to be the greatest. But he said to them, “The Kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and they exercise authority over them who are called Benefactors. But not so among you. On the contrary, let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and him who is the chief as servant. For which is greater, he who reclines at table, or he who serves? Is it not he who reclines? But I am in your midst as he who serves.” (Luke 22:24-8)

It is within this context that the role of a bishop must be understood. The conciliar decree, “The Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church,” clearly reaffirms that a bishop, because of his episcopal consecration which gives him the fullness of the priesthood, is a successor to the apostles. It also reaffirms the doctrine of the collegiality of bishops which had been explained in an earlier document, “The Constitution on the Church.” Collegiality simply means that just as St. Peter and the apostles constituted one apostolic college, so also the Holy Father, the successor of Peter, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are joined together into one college or body. This body -- together with its head, the pope, and never without it, has supreme and full power over the universal Church.

This power is threefold. There is first of all, the power to sanctify. The bishop is able, because he shares the priesthood of Christ, the eternal High Priest, to assist men in the pursuit of holiness to which all have been called by God. This he does by offering gifts and sacrifices for their sins and by administering to the sacraments through which the divine life of grace is nourished so that they may become faithful witnesses to Christ. The bishop is also empowered to teach the message of the Gospel to all men. This is paramount among his duties because there can be no faith until Christ is known. In his letter to the Christian converts at Rome, St. Paul said:

How then are they call to upon him in whom they have not believed? But how are they to believe him who they have not heard? And how are they to hear, if no one preaches? ...Faith then depends on hearing and learning on the word of Christ. (Rom. 10:14, 17)

Like St. Paul, then, a Bishop is given his grace, to announce among the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all men as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things...(Ephesians 3:8-9)

Finally, the bishop possesses the power to govern. It is his responsibility to direct and guide the people of God in their pilgrimage toward the happiness of heaven.

Now while the power and the responsibilities of bishops are clearly stated in the decree on bishops, the document is entirely pastoral in tone. And this pastoral context is most beautifully and forcefully emphasized in the sixteenth paragraph. Recalling Our Lord’s admonition to the apostles, the bishops of today are reminded by the Council.

In exercising their office of father and pastor, bishops should stand in the midst of their people as those who serve. Let them be good shepherds who know their sheep and whose sheep know them. Let them be true fathers who excel in the spirit of love and solicitude for all and to whose divinely conferred authority all gratefully submit themselves. Let them so gather and mold the whole family of their flock that everyone, conscious of his own duties, may live and work in the communion of love.

This means that he must always be among his people. He must always be accessible to them, whether they are considered important members of the community or not; whether they are affluent or poor; whether their visit will relieve some of the bishop’s burdens or add to them. Moreover, his mission is to all men, not just to those who are registered as Catholics and people will respond to him if they see in his life and in his service to others the image of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

The bishop must also be accessible to his priests. His priests share with him the priesthood of Christ and for this reason they are his co-workers in building up the Body of Christ. Theirs is a life of serving people but of often being misunderstood in the process; a life of total involvement and commitment and yet one of detachment. In a very real sense only the bishop can completely understand a priest because their lives are so much alike. For this reason, a bishop must be close to his priests. He must assist them in their undertakings. He must give them the encouragement which is so often needed to maintain zeal and enthusiasm in the face of obstacles. In difficulty he should be the first to lend a sympathetic and helpful hand. Always there must exist mutual respect and confidence.

I come to Atlanta as the auxiliary bishop mindful of the role of a bishop in this age of renewal. I come, too, with the happy realization that the clergy, religious and laity of Atlanta are well aware of this renewal and are already very much a part of the ferment which it has created. It will now be my privilege to be able to join with them in the work which must still be done.

If we are to be effective witnesses to Christ and His gospel, much will be demanded of all of us. People who are immersed in the cares of the modern world will respond to that effort being made in us. They will stop and listen to the message of the Gospel which is proclaimed only if they see that we, too, are willing to listen and learn. They will accept the spiritual authority of the bishop or priest only if they see that it is used not to bolster his own position or make it more secure, but to serve them and to help them come closer to Christ.

It is in this spirit that I pledge whatever talents I may have as well as all of my energies, to the Church in northern Georgia. As auxiliary bishop, I place myself at the service of Archbishop Hallinan so that, together with him and under his guidance and authority, I can serve all the people of archdiocese. He knows that in the administration of the archdiocese he need only call and I shall be ready to assist him. Surely the growth of northern Georgia has presented and will continue to present many challenges to the Church. I look forward with enthusiasm to helping the archbishop, the priests, sisters and laity meet these challenges.

As pastor, I promise to be a true father to the people of the Cathedral parish. It is my intention to serve them to the best of my ability and to get to know them well so that I can share their aspirations and joys, as well as their sorrows. It is my desire to help them fulfill their Christian obligations so that they will truly be what St. Peter, in his letter to the Christian converts in Asia Minor, said they should be...”a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people...the people of God.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

I also look forward to working with the leaders of other churches and synagogues in fostering a spirit of mutual respect and understanding. The ecumenical movement has already changed the religious climate of our region. May this wonderful manifestation of the love which animates our community continue and grow stronger through our concerted efforts.

I stand ready, too, to cooperate with all men of good will in working for a better society -- one based on a true appreciation of the dignity of the human person and the principles of justice and love.

I ask that you join your prayer to mine that God will give me the strength and the grace necessary to live up to the office to which I have been called. With God’s help and yours, it will be with confidence, rather than fear, that I can take to heart this admonition of the Council:

Bishops should dedicate themselves to their apostolic office as witnesses of Christ before all men. They should not only look after those who already follow the Prince of Pastors but should also wholeheartedly devote themselves to those who have strayed in anyway from the path of truth or are ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and His saving mercy until finally all men walk “in all goodness and justice and truth.” (Ephesians 5:9)