News/Press Releases

Catholic News Service and Staff Report 

Bishops from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including those from the Diocese of Scranton, have returned from their early December “ad limina” visit to Rome – encouraged to shepherd their people amidst the challenges faced by the Church.

Like their brother bishops from other regions of the United States who made “ad limina” visits this fall, they were reminded that the “new evangelization” includes renewing diocesan structures, helping Catholics publicly live the moral dimension of their faith and defending their right to do so.

The bishops also spoke to Vatican officials about energizing the faith of Catholics, re-proposing the faith to people who have drifted away and proclaiming the Gospel in new ways.

The bishops had the opportunity to meet with Pope Benedict XVI. Having a personal encounter with the Holy Father is “a very humbling opportunity,” said Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera. “The meeting reminded all of the bishops that we share a common vision with our Holy Father. While there are some differences in how the Church functions in various parts of the world, and while structures may vary, we are still one and the same Church, and we all are bound together with the successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of Christ. Being with the Holy Father was a great sign of our unity as the People of God. It was a very inspiring and hope-filled experience.”

The “ad limina” visits for bishops from the various geographic regions are held approximately every five years; sometimes the intervals in between visits are longer. The last visit for Scranton bishops was in 2004.

The delegation from the Diocese of Scranton also included Bishop Emeritus James C. Timlin; Bishop Emeritus Joseph F. Martino; Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus John M. Dougherty; and Father Brian J.W. Clarke, Vicar General and Chief Canonical Counsel.

They kept a busy schedule during their 12 days in Rome. In addition to the session with Pope Benedict, they met with officials from various Vatican offices, such as the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for the Clergy, the Signatura and the Pontifical Councils on the Laity and the Family.

Bishop Bambera noted that Pope Benedict, in particular, and the other officials in the Holy See are keenly aware of and interested in the issues that are affecting the Church in the United States and its dioceses.

These include threats to religious liberty and freedom of conscience posed by government authorities, the progress of implementing the revised Roman Missal, demographic shifts and their impact on parish structures, and the need to remain vigilant to protect children and address any allegations of sexual abuse.

“It is gratifying to know that our Holy Father is definitely interested in our welfare, and our perceptions of the strengths and areas of concern in the Church overall and in our dioceses,” Bishop Bambera said.

Regarding parish restructurings that have occurred in virtually every diocese, for example, the Bishop noted that the Holy See respects the process of hearing the concerns of parishioners and their right to seek recourse to decisions so that the interests of all parties are considered.

Bishop Bambera also cited the Vatican’s recognition of the role of the laity, especially as it relates to the continued development of vibrant parish communities.

“This really spoke to me,” he said, “because of the process we are now engaged in to make the transition from parish restructuring to parish renewal through the collaboration and cooperation of clergy, religious and laity throughout our Diocese.”

The Bishop referred to his pastoral vision for the Diocese, which was developed after more than a year of listening, conversing and reflecting with clergy, religious and laity, and was presented to the faithful in his Pastoral Letter: Wounded and Loved, Regathering the Scattered – A Pastoral Vision for the Church of Scranton. In the letter, Bishop Bambera reminded us that we are called to be servant-leaders, who lead lives deeply rooted in service – service to our God, neighbor, self and creation.

With the purpose of sharing his hope and vision for the Diocese, and establishing a framework for that vision to be implemented, Bishop Bambera conducted meetings in each of the Diocesan Deaneries with members of parish Finance and Pastoral Councils and Cluster Implementation committees that were formed during the Called to Holiness and Mission pastoral renewal process.

At each Deanery gathering, participants were encouraged to focus on parish renewal. This will involve the transition from the Cluster and Implementation Committees to Parish Pastoral Councils. Each Parish Pastoral Council was provided with revised Parish Pastoral Council Guidelines designed to reinvigorate and to support strategic planning efforts while cultivating profound spiritual renewal. Bishop Bambera noted that he was particularly encouraged to hear representatives from the Pontifical Council for the Laity encourage the establishment of pastoral councils in both dioceses and parishes.

While in Rome, the Scranton delegation also enjoyed the opportunity to connect with several clergy from the Diocese, including Father Christopher Washington, who is serving in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See; Father Gregory Reichlen, who is pursuing graduate studies in Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute; and Rev. Mr. Alex Roche, who is completing studies for the priesthood in preparation for his ordination in June.

“I am happy to say that all are doing well,” Bishop Bambera said. “Each one in their unique ministry is an asset to the Diocese of Scranton, and we are grateful for their current and future service to the Church.”

In preparation for an “ad limina” visit, each diocesan ordinary compiles and brings with him a written report on the activities of his diocese during the intervening period.

The report, which is based on a list of questions provided to each diocese by the Holy See, forms the basis of the bishop’s accounting to the Holy Father on the life of the Church in his diocese. The report covers the pastoral and administrative organization of the diocese, the bishop’s mission and ministry within the diocese, the liturgical and sacramental life of the church, Catholic education and catechesis, and the state of the clergy, religious and laity.

It also includes information about evangelization efforts, ecumenical and interfaith outreach, and the church’s work in serving the needs of the community.

The report also addresses the particular opportunities and challenges the church faces in living and evangelizing the faith within the general culture of the area.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia told Catholic News Service that it was his fifth “ad limina” visit, but his first as archbishop of Philadelphia.

“The Holy Father is well aware of the situation in Philadelphia and very caring and supportive of our people, our priests and the bishops who serve there,” he said, adding that the pope is following the issues concerning the church’s response to sexual abuse of minors in southeastern Pennsylvania.

He said the pope also knows that the Philadelphia Archdiocese, like other dioceses in the Northeast, is facing a situation where older churches in city centers are virtually empty on Sundays, while suburban parishes are growing.

In those cases, he said, part of the church’s new evangelization effort must be “reordering the structures there, as well as a re-presentation of the Gospel” to people today.

At the same time, the archbishop said, new evangelization includes interaction with our neighbors and fellow citizens “because we are supposed to be light for the world around us and salt for the blandness of society.”

Archbishop Chaput said that for years, Pope Benedict has been encouraging bishops to help their faithful “be Catholics publicly and not just privately. Our faith is always personal, but it’s never supposed to be a private thing. It’s always supposed to influence our politics, and politics means our interaction with the polis, with the city, with our fellow citizens.”

Referring to the visits to the Vatican congregations and councils, Archbishop Chaput said, “The issues we talk about are the issues Catholics talk about around the coffee table.”

For instance, at the Pontifical Council for the Family, they talked about divorce, the changing definition of marriage in the United States and “what we can do to help families be strong in the midst of a world that is very secular,” he said.

“They are very anxious to learn our experience; more anxious to learn our experience probably, than to give us advice, which I think the bishops have found very, very helpful,” he said.

It’s clear “they think that what happens in America has a huge impact on the Church everywhere, so they are anxious to find out what we think and to know what we’re doing because they think that’s going to spill over into the rest of the world,” Archbishop Chaput said.

Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J. told Vatican Radio that the bishops of the United States “think that society itself, as well as certain governments, both national and state, are making a mistake in the way they understand religious freedom. In fact, there seems to be an attack on it.”

The U.S. bishops have cited threats to religious freedom found in laws that would require church organizations to violate church teaching, for instance by requiring they cover contraception in their health insurance policies or allow gay couples to adopt children from Catholic agencies.

“I think an underlying mistake is the thought that religion and religious practice are a private matter and they really should not cross over and affect one’s voting or one’s personal opinion about public matters,” Archbishop Myers said. “That is a fundamental error: One cannot divide oneself into half – half devoted to matters of the faith and half devoted to public affairs and public discussion.”

The archbishop told Vatican Radio that the bishops are well aware that words alone will never convince opponents that religion is not a danger to society and freedom.

“We have to live what we believe. We have to be credible in our faith and then teach from that point of view, so that our lives become our teaching,” he said.