The
Installation Ceremony for the Archbishop of Manila:
Symbols & Meanings
By
Rev. Fr. Genaro Diwa
The
ceremony for the installation of the new Archbishop of Manila
on November 21, 2003 at nine in the morning at the Manila Cathedral
is a most significant and momentous event in the Archdiocese of
Manila and the Church in the Philippines. It has been almost 30
years that such an event takes place and this one is more august
in many respects. His Eminence Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, now Archbishop
Emeritus of the Archdiocese, himself seats Archbishop Gaudencio
B. Rosales in his “chair.”
More
than extraordinary care and diligence are being applied to the liturgical
preparations for this event because the people preparing the liturgy certainly
desire that it be the model for such ceremonies and that it instills in the
faithful a deeper appreciation of their faith and a broader understanding of
the office of bishop.
I. The Rite of Liturgical Reception
The
reformed rite of reception of a newly appointed bishop to a diocese is a simple
rite, which intends to catechize the people of God about the role and function
of the bishop in the Christian community. The celebration tries to capture in
ritual form the nature of the Church and the relationship of the bishop to the
Church; even more nobly, it points to the ritual action that reveals in
concrete form (liturgically, artistically, professionally) the presence of God.
The whole ritual form of reception of the new bishop focuses attention on the
place of the bishop in the ritual life of the Church. Assuredly, there is no
Church without the bishop, and the bishop’s liturgy is the choice manifestation
of the Church; but the bishop is not the whole church nor is the bishop’s
liturgy the only indication of the salvific presence of God.
The bishop is above all the shepherd of the diocese that is entrusted to him.
The bishop is also the successor to the Apostles, head of the local Church, and
the representative of Christ.
His functions and duties, and in fact who he is, are always defined in
relationship to Christ the head of the Church, the good Shepherd who laid down
his life for his sheep.
1. The rites that inaugurate the ministerial
life of the new bishop in this sense highlights the contours of the road that
he has to undertake in the local Church entrusted to his care. The place where
the celebration takes place is in “the see” of the diocese, the mother church
of the whole diocese, the cathedral church. It is here that the bishop presides
in the liturgy, the chief task entrusted to him for the glorification of God
and the sanctification of humankind. He is constituted
“the liturgist” of the diocese for in him the faithful in the diocese will be
gathered to do the “memory” of the Lord and to “serve” in his presence as he
presides in the liturgical celebrations in the many coming years. It is
in the cathedral church that the bishop gives fuller expression to his
Episcopal ministry as he leads his flock, together with his presbyters, in the
praise of God. The cathedral church is not only the
home of the diocese it is the picture of the diocese, always ready for God’s
presence in the midst of man’s concern for the what is ephemeral. “The
cathedral Church is “a sign… of the unity of believers in the faith that the
bishop proclaims as a shepherd of the Lord’s flock.” The preeminent manifestation of the local
Church is present when the bishop, as high priest of his flock celebrates the
Eucharist and particularly when he celebrates in the cathedral, surrounded by
his college of presbyters and by his ministers, and with the full, active
participation of all of God’s holy people.
The rite of reception happens at the door of the cathedral when the
newly appointed bishop of the diocese is received by the senior presbyter of
the diocese, in the case of our celebration by the two auxiliary bishops of Manila, their Excellencies, the Most
Reverend Socrates Villegas and the Most Reverend Teodoro
Buhain.
2. The rector of the cathedral offers him a
crucifix to be kissed, then a sprinkler of holy water, with which the bishop
sprinkles himself and those present. The bishop may be
escorted to the Blessed Sacrament chapel, where he kneels for a moment in
adoration, then to the vesting room.
The
symbols in this rite of reception are very direct. They are preparatory rites
for the celebration of the Eucharist, which is the heart of the whole
celebration. The bishop kisses the crucifix as a
reminder of his relationship with Christ, who suffered and died for his flock.
The bishop is demanded by the very nature of his office as the shepherd of the
flock to witness to this self giving love of the Good Shepherd: “No greater
love than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.” This also finds
resonance even in the motto of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Gaudencio Rosales: “Unless it dies, it does not bear
fruit.”
Then the sprinkling of the holy water on himself and to the people
present, recalls the baptismal character from which all of us have been made
children of God. This gesture manifests the fundamental bond that the head of
the church, the bishop and the faithful share in the faith; baptism. St Augustine clearly expresses this: “for you I am a bishop,
with you I am a Christian.” Then the silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
happens, this time together with all the presbyters of the archdiocese of
manila. The bishop becomes a living witness to the power of prayer and the
whole presbyterium together with the bishop they
attest to this truth. This is just but a sign of their identity as “men of
prayer.”
II. The Rite of Canonical Installation
Then,
the celebration of the Eucharist begins. Here the main rite of
“taking possession of the diocese” takes place. The
whole celebration is centered on the Eucharistic celebration for
in this “the bishop is the point of unity for the Church
of the diocese; when he presides at the liturgical function, the
local church achieves its maximum unity and community.” To highlight the local church of the Archdiocese
of Manila gathered in unity around its pastor, banners with the
names of all the parishes of the archdiocese are brought to the
sanctuary as the entrance procession takes place.
1. After reverencing the
altar, the bishop goes to his chair. It is the Cardinal, the administrator of
the Archdiocese of Manila, who begins the celebration of the Eucharist and
greets the people of God gathered for this celebration. After the greeting, His
Eminence asks that the Apostolic Letter be read.
This is an ancient tradition of the church that expresses
the bond of unity of the local church to the universal church, headed by the
Bishop of Rome, the Pope. In fact, this is the essence of the rite of canonical
installation of the newly appointed bishop in taking possession of his diocese.
Then
the faithful express their acceptance and gratitude for the appointment of the
archbishop as the choir sings “Thanks to the Lord.”
2. After the Apostolic
letter is read, the new archbishop is led to his “cathedra” or his “chair.”
With the reform of the liturgy in Vatican II, the “cathedra” of the bishop has
come to signify his seat of leadership, no longer a throne. The “cathedra” is a
sign of his teaching office and pastoral power in the particular Church.
“The “cathedra” should be a chair that stands alone and is permanently
installed. Its placement should make it clear that the bishop is presiding over
the whole community of the faithful.”
3. “The archbishop is then greeted by members of
the diocesan clergy, religious men and women, members of the faithful, and as
circumstances suggest, representatives of the civil authority.”
This signifies the respect and obedience the people of
God ought to render the chief shepherd of the archdiocese. As the Council
teaches: “the faithful should cling to the bishop as the Church clings to Jesus
Christ and as Jesus Christ clings to the Father…”
4. The celebration of the Eucharist continues in
the usual manner, presided over by the new Archbishop. The culmination of the
celebration is his presidency over the Eucharistic celebration for it is “the office of bishop as teacher, sanctifier, and pastor of
his church shines forth most clearly in a liturgy that he celebrates with his
people.”
