Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Role of a Bishop

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questins Regarding The Rle f a Bishp The respnses are shrt answers t smetimes cmplicated questins and are always subject t elabratin and even dispute. They shuld at least prvide a frame f reference fr further study and thught. Yu are invited t submit additinal questins fr inclusin and cmments n the respnses prvided. What is a bishp? A bishp is a successr t ne f the Twelve Apstles, wh has been cnsecrated by ther bishps. In Old English it was "biscp", which came t be prnunced "bishp" and was later spelled that way. In the Episcpal Church, there are five kinds f bishps: Presiding, Dicesan, Assistant, Cadjutr, and Suffragan. N bishp is "higher" in rank than anther. The five kinds merely define their functin. We will be electing a Dicesan bishp wh will replace ur current bishp when he retires. Have we always had bishps in the Church? Surce: The Refrmatin raised many questins abut the rle f the bishp. In the English Refrmatin in particular, thse f Puritan and Presbyterian persuasins sught t ablish the ffice f bishp and t vest authrity in lcal cngregatins r in cuncils f elders. Thse f a mre cathlic persuasin sught t retain bishps as the authrity in the Church. The English Civil War settled the questin in favr f bishps, and the Church f England has since maintained the traditinal threefld rders f bishp, priest, and deacn. The gvernance f the Church f England, hwever, did underg a change in the English Refrmatin in that the King (r Queen) and Parliament assumed a substantial rle. The bishps were n lnger in ttal cntrl f the Church althugh, in mst day t day affairs f the Church, the civil authrities deferred t the bishps. What pwer des the bishp have in the Episcpal Church? The Episcpal Church, ur branch f the Anglican Cmmunin, retains the threefld ministry f bishps, priests, and deacns, but, frm its inceptin, the rle f bishps in the Episcpal Church has differed frm the rle that they had in the Church f England. In particular, legislative authrity in the Episcpal Church as t dctrine, discipline, and wrship resides in the General Cnventin, which in turn is cmpsed f tw huses, the Huse f Deputies (laity, priests, and deacns) and the Huse f bishps. Bth huses must apprve any legislative actin f the cnventin, thus the pwer f the bishps is significantly less in the Episcpal Church than in the Church f England. The bishps, as a grup, can take n actin withut apprval f the Huse f Deputies except t the extent that the General Cnventin has previusly delegated authrity and respnsibility t the bishps. Thse delegatins f authrity and respnsibility are fund in the Bk f Cmmn Prayer, the Cnstitutin, and the Canns.

2 What is the rle f a bishp? The Outline f the Faith prvided by ur Bk f Cmmn Prayer answers the questin: What is the ministry f a bishp? in this way: The ministry f a bishp is t represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apstle, chief priest, and pastr f a dicese; t guard the faith, unity, and discipline f the whle Church; t prclaim the Wrd f Gd; t act in Christ s name fr the recnciliatin f the wrld and the building up f the Church; and t rdain thers t cntinue Christ s ministry. (BCP, p. 855) Thus, a bishp is the chief priest and pastr f a dicese, and all ther clergy derive their ministry frm him r her. He r she is the guardian f the faith, respnsible t see that the full truth f the Gspel f Gd in Christ is prclaimed. He r she administers the discipline f the Church and is respnsible fr seeing that the fficial wrship f the Church is regularly used in the Churches under his care. In the Bk f Cmmn Prayer, the Preface t the Ordinatin Rites states that bishps are thse wh carry n the apstlic wrk f leading, supervising, and uniting the Church. (BCP p. 510) The Ordinal, in The Examinatin, ges n t state that a bishp is called t guard the faith, unity, and discipline f the Church; t celebrate and t prvide fr the administratin f the sacraments f the New Cvenant; t rdain priests and deacns and t jin in rdaining bishps; and t be in all things a faithful pastr and whlesme example fr the entire flck f Christ (BCP p. 517). Furthermre, bishps, accrding t the Ordinal, are t share with their fellw bishps in the leadership f the Church thrughut the wrld. The Bk f Cmmn Prayer restricts the administratin f the rites f cnfirmatin and rdinatin t bishps and als gives bishps great authrity ver any variatins in the liturgy t be permitted within the bishp s dicese. Hw d bishps interact with the lcal parish? Why is the wrk f the bishp imprtant t the typical parishiner? When the bishp presides at a baptism he r she represents the whle church, fr the individual being baptized is becming a member f the ne, hly, cathlic, and apstlic Church in its bradest sense. It is als in this capacity that he r she administers the Cnfirmatin and rdains persns t the ministry. The bishp travels thrughut the dicese during the year t be present in parishes at scheduled Cnfirmatin services and at ther times as apprpriate and/r as invited. In additin t sacramental and teaching rles, the bishp might play an imprtant rle when a parish is in transitin, in reslving cnflicts at the parish level if such cnflicts require either a pastral cnsultative presence r a disciplinary interventin. Why d bishps wear all thse funny clthes? Surce: Lking at the Episcpal Church, William Sydnr, p. 100) 2

3 Frm the time f its establishment during the reign f Henry VIII, the Anglican Church has been divided int tw schls with regard t the use f vestments. In general, the ministers f the high church grup tend t emply many f the vestments f the Rman Cathlic Church. The ministers f the lw church grup tend t use fewer f the Rman vestments. In general, the cassck and surplice are the vestments mst in use by the Anglican clergy. The stle is wrn als at certain ceremnies. Dignitaries, including chaplains, cathedral canns, and bishps, wear fr chir ffices the brad black scarf under a hd. The cpe is used at the altar in English cathedrals; it is als wrn by bishps at great state ccasins, such as the crnatin f a svereign. The usual dress fr an Anglican bishp in rdinary ministratins cnsists f a rchet with a black r scarlet chimere, a lse rbe with balln sleeves. Surce: What are the mst imprtant gifts that a bishp shuld pssess? What kind f persn shuld we be lking fr in ur new bishp? Given the rle f a bishp, gifts f discernment, teaching, wisdm, and pastral sensitivity, are imprtant. A bishp shuld have demnstrated skills in cnflict reslutin and listening. He/she shuld als be a thelgian and faithful student f Scripture. His/her life shuld be deeply rted in prayer and as well he/she shuld be able t articulate the cre dctrines f the Christian faith a belief in which shuld be evident in the way he/ she lives ut the Great Cmmandment (Lve Gd and lve yur neighbr, see Mk.12:28-34) and the Great Cmmissin (G and make disciples f all natins, see Matt. 28: 16ff). What Canns (Church laws) are relevant t the rle f a bishp? While the Bk f Cmmn Prayer gives the brad utlines f a bishp s pwers and respnsibilities, the Cnstitutin and Canns f the Episcpal Church fill in sme f the details: The bishp shall nt exercise authrity utside f his r her dicese withut specific authrizatin t d s. (Art. II.3) The bishp is required t examine any candidate fr rdinatin and t make sure that certain requirements are met befre rdinatin. (Art. VIII) The bishp has t reprt infrmatin abut the clergy and parishes in the dicese t the natinal Church. (Cann I.1.6) The bishp, alng with the Standing Cmmittee, must apprve the sale r encumbrance f any real prperty f a parish. (Cann I.7.3; II.6.2) The bishp shall have a seat in the Huse f Bishps f the prvince. (Cann I.9.5) The bishp may call special meetings f the Standing Cmmittee f the Dicese t seek its advice. (Cann I.12.1) 3

4 The bishp must cnsent t any request f a nn-episcpal cngregatin t jin the Church while retaining the use f its wn rites, which request must be sent t the Presiding bishp. (Cann I.16.1) The bishp is charged with cnferring the rite f cnfirmatin and with the receptin f thse previusly cnfirmed in anther traditin. (Cann I.17.1) The bishp hears the appeal f any parishiner wh has been denied any f the sacraments by a priest. (Cann I.17.6) The bishp is t receive ntice f any marriage t be cnducted within 30 days f the signing by the bride and grm f the Declaratin f Intent. (Cann I.18.3) The bishp must cnsent t the marriage if either f the parties has previusly been married and the frmer spuse is still alive. (Cann I.19.2,3) The bishp must authrize the use f translatins f the Bible ther than the nes specified in the Canns. (Cann II.2) The bishp must authrize the use f language ther than English in wrship unless there exists an authrized editin f the Bk f Cmmn Prayer in such language. (Cann II.4) The bishp shall nt cnsecrate a Church until satisfied that land is wned by the Church and subject t the canns. (Cann II.6.1) The bishp shall encurage the discernment f vcatins and assist thse in the discernment prcess. (Cann III.3) The bishp licenses lay ministers. (Cann III.4.1) Deacns serve directly under the authrity f and are accuntable t the bishp. (Cann III.7.1) The bishp establishes prcedures t identify and select persns fr rdinatin t the priesthd. (Cann III.8.1) The bishp, in cnsultatin with the Standing Cmmittee, acts n requests by clergy t renunce their rders. (Cann III.9.8) The bishp has respnsibility t mediate differences between a rectr and the vestry when they are in dispute, and if necessary t render a judgment n the dispute. (Cann III.9.15,16) The bishp is required t pursue cntinuing educatin. (Cann III.12.2) The bishp is required t visit each cngregatin at least nce every three years. (Cann III.12.3.a) 4

5 The bishp may prepare pastral letters that are required t be read t the cngregatins n matters f dctrine, discipline, r wrship. (Cann III.12.3.b) The bishp must give an annual state f the dicese reprt cvering varius tpics. (Cann III.12.3.d) The bishp must nt perfrm Episcpal acts r fficiate by preaching, ministering the Sacraments, r hlding any public service utside his r her dicese withut the permissin f the bishp f the dicese in which the actin is t take place. (Cann III.12.3.e) The bishp must reside in the dicese. (Cann III.12.4) The bishp has extensive respnsibilities in matters f ecclesiastical discipline. (Cann IV) It is apparent frm the summary f cnstitutins and canns abve that the natinal and dicesan cnstitutins and canns grant specific pwers and impse specific respnsibilities n the bishp, but the gist f the rle f the bishp is, as set frth in the Catechism in the Bk f Cmmn Prayer, t represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apstle, chief priest, and pastr f the dicese. The bishp accmplishes this task, nt s much with de jure authrity granted by the cnstitutins and canns, but mre by the bishp s persnal pwer f persuasin arising frm the clergy s and laity s belief that the bishp has been called by Gd t shepherd them. It shuld be nted that the bishps gathered at the 2008 Lambeth Cnference undertk a study f what it means t be a bishp in the Anglican Cmmunin, including the Episcpal Church. In the reflectin dcument published at the cnclusin f the cnference, the participants defined the rle f a bishp as fllws: T gather the whle cmmunity in celebratin, presiding ver the sacraments and rdaining new priests and deacns T prclaim the Wrd f Gd as an apstlic witness t the death and resurrectin f Jesus Christ T be a teacher, guardian and interpreter f the faith and the apstlic traditin T be active in making and nurturing disciples T be a shepherd (pastr) f the whle peple f Gd, with a special cncern fr the clergy f the dicese T be a prphetic vice fr the viceless. As bishps, we are cmmitted t the life f the Church, t the wider cmmunities in which we minister and t civil sciety. We recgnize that it is in ur calling t be bridge-builders, recncilers and symbls f unity, representing the lcal t the universal and the universal t the lcal, taking 5

6 ur place within a wrld-wide cllege f bishps acrss the Cmmunin and within the ne Church f Christ. While this understanding f the rle f the bishp is nt directed t the Episcpal Church in particular and des nt purprt t take int accunt ur cnstitutins and canns, it is an apprpriate summary f what a bishp is called t d. What d I d if I disagree with my bishp? Generally speaking when an individual disagrees with a bishp n sme matter, it is apprpriate fr that persn t discuss the matter with his/her lcal priest/rectr in rder t gather infrmatin and perhaps glean a perspective that may nt be readily apparent. In cnsultatin with ne s rectr and vestry, it may be apprpriate t express differences directly with the bishp. D bishps appint clergy t lcal parishes? This varies frm dicese t dicese and depending n the circumstances at each parish. In recent years in the Dicese f Kentucky, the bishp has typically served as an advisr t parishes wh cnduct their wn search fr clergy. Mst ften parishes issue a call t clergy with the knwledge and cnsent f the bishp. If a parish desn t have the resurces t cnduct a search prcess, they may request that the bishp appint a priest in charge. In fulfillment f his/her vw t guard the faith, unity, and discipline f the Church the bishp may find it necessary at sme time t intervene in the prcess t select and appint a parish clergy persn in rder t facilitate bservance f Church canns. The bishp is respnsible fr ensuring that prper backgrund checks and rdinatin credentials are in rder when a parish intends t issue a call. 6