Articles by Bishop George Thomas
Priesthood and the Second Vatican Council
Aug 29, 2013 / 00:00 amNearly 50 years ago, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council issued a groundbreaking document on the Catholic priesthood.In doing so, they provided us with not only a more expansive understanding of the ministerial priesthood, but also fresh insights into the priesthood of the faithful.THE COMMON PRIESTHOODThe Council Fathers taught that the whole community of believers is a priestly people, and that the lay faithful exercise their priesthood through the unfolding of baptismal and confirmation grace. “Each one ought to hallow Jesus in his heart,” wrote the Fathers, and bear witness to him through the goodness of our lives.IN THE MIDST OF GOD’S PEOPLEThe ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood, and is the means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church.By virtue of their vocation and ordination, priests are set apart in the midst of God’s people, ordained to be of the service to the common priesthood. In his inimitable way, Pope Francis told priests to go out “among their flocks” and know the people they serve “like shepherds living with the smell of sheep.”The common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood, while interrelated, wrote the Council Fathers, “differ both in essence and degree.”Through the service of the ordained minister, Christ himself is present to his Church as Head of his body, Shepherd of the flock, High Priest and Teacher of truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest acts in persona Christi capitis – in the person of Christ the head. This is the mysterious means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church.THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESSBoth the priestly people and those called to Holy Orders share a common call and a common destiny – the call to holiness and the hope of eternal life.The essential foundation of all discipleship, and in particular, the core of priestly ministry, is a deep, personal bond with Jesus Christ.The priest must be a man who knows Jesus Christ intimately, and has encountered him personally. The priest must be, above all else, a man of prayer, a truly spiritual man. Priestly holiness is a gift to and for the people. “Without a strong spiritual substance,” wrote Pope Benedict, “a priest cannot long endure his ministry.”A MAN FOR OTHERSIn a challenging reflection on priestly life and ministry, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote the priest “must learn that the main purpose of his life is not self-realization and success. He must learn that he is not in the business of building himself an interesting or comfortable life, or of setting up for himself a community of admirers and devotees, but is working for another and that it is He that truly matters.”THE WORD OF GODThe Council Fathers enjoined each priest to remember that he has as his primary duty the proclamation of the Gospel to all. But before becoming a proclaimer of the Word, the priest must first be a hearer of the Word, and a frequent guest at the Lord’s table.The Word of God is so essential in the life of the clergy, indeed for all the faithful, that St. Ignatius of Antioch used eucharistic imagery to describe the Word when he wrote, “I commend myself to the Gospel as to the flesh of Christ.”The preacher of the Word cannot be influenced by the desire to please public opinion, or to win adulation or approval through clever word craft that is empty of meaning or devoid of spiritual nourishment.The priest is to faithfully re-present the Word of God and the Church’s hallowed teachings, in season and out of season. He must allow the Lord to fill his mind and heart through contemplation of the Word, assiduous study, prayerful attention to the Liturgy of the Hours and commitment to the Lectio Divina. He must never forget that the most profound homily he ever will preach is the witness of his daily life.THE GIFT OF EUCHARISTThe Fathers of the Council declared that the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the life of the Church. All of the sacraments point to or flow from the Eucharist. For God’s people, liturgy prepared well and celebrated prayerfully is a blessing beyond measure. Each pastor does well to call forth, form and commission the full complement of liturgical ministries envisioned by the Council.The Eucharist must serve as the center and foundation of priestly spirituality, and the source of the priest’s personal sanctification. In the parlance of St. Augustine, “We become what we receive.”In calling for the “full, active, and conscious participation” of the faithful in the liturgy, the Fathers understood the power of the Eucharist to change not only individual lives, but also to transform entire communities. Eucharistic Adoration helps us deepen and prolong our communion with the Lord in Eucharist.EUCHARIST AND CHARITYIn his first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est,” Pope Benedict underscored that liturgy naturally leads to the practice of charity, especially toward the least, the last and the lowliest, both at home and far away.The priest must help the community make vital connections between Eucharist and charity, liturgy and compassion, mystery and mandatum, love of God and love of neighbor, always with a preferential option for the poor.SHARED RESPONSIBILITYThe Fathers of the Council underscored the concept and practice of shared responsibility when they wrote: “Pastors also know that they themselves were not meant by Christ to shoulder alone the entire saving mission of the church toward the world.” Words such as cooperation, collaboration, consultation and collegiality emerged from the Council’s vision. Pastors must “know what they don’t know,” and gather together wise and knowledgeable persons and strong consultative bodies in both parish and diocese. The wise pastor welcomes the expertise of the laity, particularly in the management of the Church’s temporal affairs.UNITY AND DIVERSITYAs they call forth the gifts of the laity, pastors are admonished not to mistake uniformity for unity, nor diminish the gift of lawful diversity in the Church, especially through the powerful expressions of language, culture, and popular piety.A wise admonition to bishops from Pope Benedict serves as a useful rule of thumb for all pastors: “They must not pursue uniformity in their pastoral planning, but must leave room for the doubtless often troublesome multiplicity of God’s gifts – always, of course, under the criterion of unity of the faith.”TEACHERS OF THE FAITHIn their ministry among the laity, it also is good to remember the 1946 counsel of Pope Pius XII, when he described the lay faithful as “on the front lines” of the Church’s life, and reminded pastors that the laity must be well prepared for the task at hand. Catechetical formation of the youth must hold pride of place in his community.Priests must never forget that the lay faithful are indispensable in transforming the secular order, building the Culture of Life, establishing a Civilization of Love and carrying out the New Evangelization. Priests must make themselves available to provide or oversee sound theological formation, education, and visionary leadership in each and every parish. Sound formation helps to unlock the immense potential of the laity, immersing people in sound doctrine and introducing them to Catholic social and moral teaching.MINISTRY AMONG THE SCATTEREDThe priest must constantly ask, “Who is not at the table?” He must include in his ministry to the gathered a fulsome and intentional ministry to the scattered. By word and example, Pope Francis has admonished pastors to move beyond the safety and security of the sacristy, and open their hearts and lives to the poor.Like Christ the Good Shepherd, the priest sometimes must leave the 99 as he searches for the lost lamb. He should be found regularly at the bedside of sick, at the service of immigrants, in nursing homes and jails and soup kitchens, among the homebound or wherever human need is found.THE HEALING CHURCHThe Church, we must remember, is founded upon forgiveness, and is by nature the home of forgiveness.The priest must be a practitioner of mercy, and work hard to remove from his life the roots of sin, pride, anger, arrogance and selfishness. The spiritual life of the priest, like that of the laity, is predicated on the awareness that all of us need Christ’s tender mercy, and conversion of heart is the lifelong and shared endeavor of every Christian.BEYOND THE PARISHFinally, the vision of the Council Fathers encourages us to disallow our parishes and people from becoming self-enclosed, overly introspective or preoccupied with self.In short, pastors must work to establish deep and meaningful union with the wider Church, communion with the diocesan bishop and with the Holy Father, and intentional outreach to mission territories.This will help to actualize our people’s understanding that we are a Church that is “one, holy, Catholic and apostolic.”THE POWER OF EXAMPLEThe election of Pope Francis has given both priests and people a wonderful example of priestly life well lived. He is an exemplar of humility, holiness, humor, joy, accessibility and love for God’s little ones.As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Second Vatican Council, I am thankful for the lives and example of so many good and holy priests in our diocese, and I am ever-grateful to shepherd people the Lord has chosen to be his own.Reprinted with permission from the Montana Catholic, official newspaper for the diocese of Helena.
The Year of Faith and the New Evangelization (Part II in a two-part series)
Nov 22, 2012 / 00:00 amIn last month’s Montana Catholic, I wrote about the Special Synod of bishops in Rome, convened in October by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. I stated that the convening of a Special Synod indicates there are pressing issues on the Holy Father’s mind and heart, concerns needing worldwide consultation and expertise.We know from his speeches and writings that those issues include:-religious indifference.-the spread of secularism.-the ascent of atheism, especially in nations where religion and the Christian life flourished previously.In calling for the New Evangelization and a Year of Faith, Pope Benedict also has expressed special pastoral concern for persons:-who are baptized but inadequately catechized.-who have been evangelized but largely uncatechized.-who are marginalized or disenfranchised from the Church.-whose faith and public life are disconnected, standing as counter-witnesses to the Catholic faith.The Holy Father called together bishops from around the world to explore theological and pastoral approaches to address these serious matters.Last month I explored two of four foundational planks that will serve as essential elements in the New Evangelization.Encuentro theology is fundamental to the New Evangelization, and the Year of Faith. Encuentro theology describes the need for each person to personally and communally meet Jesus Christ in his or her life.Conversion (in the Greek, metanoia) describes the radical change of mind and heart that occurs when we meet the Lord face to face.Now we will examine Communio theology and Catholic social teaching, the third and fourth foundational planks.COMMUNIO THEOLOGYCommunio theology includes many elements.Sacramentally, baptism is the gateway to communion in the Church, and the Eucharist is the living and lasting center around which the entire community gathers.Blessed John Paul II wrote, “Through communion with Jesus Christ, we enter into communion with all believers.”Communio theology includes deep and meaningful solidarity with the local and wider Church.Communio theology is essential to the Church’s nature, and is made visible in real and concrete ways: through our community prayers for one another; through communion between parish and diocese; through communion between dioceses and the universal Church; through global solidarity with mission peoples; and through communion with the Petrine ministry of the Holy Father, to name a few.Our communion is expressed most dramatically through the prayerful celebration of the Eucharist, the outstanding moment of encounter with the living Christ.Communio theology includes deep understanding of Church teaching through sound catechesis. Communio theology requires that diocese and parish provide each generation with teaching so that each individual has the ability “to think with the Church” and also to live and love her life and teachings as their own.The local bishop is responsible for intentionally building communion in the Church. He is described as “the visible principle and foundation of unity,” and the guardian of lawful diversity who must always “respect and foster plurality and diversification which are not obstacles to unity but which give it character and communion.” (“Ecclesia in America,” 60)Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who now is our Holy Father, once wrote that “the local bishop must not allow the diocese to become self-enclosed. He must open her up to the whole and also introduce into the universal Church the particular voice of his diocese, its particular charisms, assets and afflictions . . . He must leave room for the doubtless and often troublesome multiplicity of God’s gifts, always, of course, under the criterion of the unity of faith.” (“Called to Communion” Page 100)A major outcome of the Special Synod and the Year of Faith will include new initiatives to systematically teach, form and, in some cases, re-form the minds and hearts of our people, helping them to grow in understanding of the teachings of the Church, especially as they are presented in the Catholic Catechism.Communio theology also places special emphasis on the Second Vatican Council’s vision of shared responsibility, or what Pope Benedict has described in recent months as “co-responsibility” for the propagation of the faith. Lay persons are on the front lines. Their purview is the transformation of society and culture, the marketplace, the classroom and the public square.Another major element of the Year of Faith will be forming, empowering and mobilizing the lay faithful as necessary agents of New Evangelization.Every family has experienced the heartbreak of the sons, daughters, members of extended family and circle of friends who were once Catholic but drifted away or decisively defected from the Church.Many will prayerfully consider coming home, especially when encouraged or invited to do so by someone who loves Jesus Christ and is an active member of the Church. People of the laity are necessary catalysts for successful evangelization and by turning to them in our diocese and parish, we awaken a sleeping giant.CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGCatholic social teaching is the language of charity made visible. Catholic social teaching flows from the vision that every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and that this dignity is the source of human rights and duties.To rediscover and help others discover the inviolable dignity of every human person “makes up the essential task, in a certain sense the central and unifying task of the service which the Church and the lay faithful in her are called to render to the human family.” (“Christi Fideles Laiici,” No. 91)The problems and challenges we face as a Church and society are daunting and sometimes discouraging. In recent years, the Church has encountered a new brand of secularism, characterized by militancy, organizational savvy, funding sources and political acumen.Groups like Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Compassion & Choices and various lobbies with agendas antithetical to the Church have displayed growing momentum in the past 10 years. On the national level, we face pernicious U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandates that violate the Catholic conscience.On the legislative front, in some jurisdictions, these lobbyists and special-interest groups have successfully redefined marriage, targeted the Catholic Church with look-back legislation and passed assisted-suicide laws.What they have failed to secure in the halls of the legislature, they have taken up in the courts of the country.Radical secularism on the one hand and religious indifference on the other have made life challenging for the Catholic Church across the land. The laity must become galvanized, organized and mobilized to help turn away these forces and bring into view a culture of life.St. Augustine once proposed that “if you look deeply enough into the eyes of any person, there you will see something that is divine.” Our vision of the human person gives birth to our preferential love for the poor and the Church’s goal of ensuring no one ever is marginalized.The Lord’s mandate to serve others is the silent witness that evangelizes culture and society. In his first encyclical, titled “Deus Caritas Est," Pope Benedict writes clearly and compellingly that “charity is the silent witness that brings others to Christ.”Our vision of the human person gives birth to our preferential option for the poor and a theology of the common good.Catholic social teaching holds up the vision that no person ever should be marginalized or set aside. All have value and worth that comes not from the state, but from the very heart of God. Together, we can build up the culture of life and lead others to the heart of Christ and the Church by our witness to the sacredness and goodness of every person, every soul.I have said this before and I say it again: no more camouflage Catholicism! The New Evangelization and the Year of Faith accord each person, parish and diocese a new and blessed opportunity to meet the Lord anew, share his name with others and give powerful and profound witness to the life, death and resurrection of Christ, who is ever in our midst as one who serves.Reprinted with permission from the Montana Catholic, official newspaper for the diocese of Helena.
Evaluating issues, candidates? There’s help
Oct 11, 2012 / 00:00 amElection season rhetoric has taken a turn for the worse.Politicians’ pledges to engage in civil dialogue have devolved into acrimony and name calling.Television and radio stations are reaping the benefits of negative infomercials devoid of content and substantive information.We deserve better.The U.S. bishops, in an effort to help Catholics make good political choices and navigate the turbulent waters of election 2012, have re-proposed a practical and accessible document titled “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.”It does not provide us with a voters’ guide, a scorecard of issues or directions on how to vote.“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” does, however, give conscientious Catholics useful tools and moral principles to help “shape their choices, form their consciences, and contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue.”The questions we face as a nation are daunting and complex. Some involve intrinsic moral or social evil.Consider what the Catholic citizen or politician is to do as we face a plethora of contemporary concerns such as:-The continuing destruction of unborn children through abortion and other threats to the lives and dignity of others who are vulnerable, sick or unwanted.-The renewed efforts to force Catholic ministries in health care, education and social services to violate their consciences or stop serving others in need.-The increasing efforts to redefine marriage and enact measures that undermine marriage as the permanent, faithful and fruitful union of one man and one woman, and a fundamental moral and social institution essential to the common good.-The economic crisis that has devastated lives and livelihoods, increased national and global unemployment, poverty and hunger, increased deficits and placed a massive burden of debt on future generations.-The failure to repair a broken immigration system through comprehensive measures that promote true respect for the law, protect the human rights and dignity of immigrants and refugees, recognize their contributions to our nation, keep families together and advance the common good.-The wars, terror and violence that raise serious moral questions on the use of force and its human and moral costs in a dangerous world, particularly the absence of justice, security and peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.“Faithful Citizenship” provides us with valuable tools, information and guidelines that help us to think clearly and critically, and to evaluate the issues and candidates through the lenses of Catholic social and moral teaching.It challenges us not to make blind choices based on party affiliation, uncritical ideology or selfish personal interests.It encourages voters to pay close attention to the endorsements that accompany a candidate’s name and voting record.“Faithful Citizenship” helps us to evaluate policy positions, party platforms and candidates’ promises and actions in light of the Gospel and through the lenses of Catholic moral and social teaching.It raises up the clear and compelling obligation we hold as voters to oppose those intrinsic evils that never can be justified, and to prayerfully consider those issues that require us to forge new paths to justice and peace.It challenges politicians to lead from a base of sound moral principles rather than governance by political popularity or by the latest polling results.“Faithful Citizenship” acquaints the reader with the foundational elements of Catholic social teaching – values such as the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the right to life, a preferential option for the poor, the theology of the common good, an emphasis on family and community, the dignity of work and the rights of workers, global solidarity and caring for God’s creation.“Faithful Citizenship” is practical, accessible and easy to digest. The information it contains helps us to make those well-formed decisions that flow from the well-formed conscience.This important document challenges us to avoid what I have called “camouflage Catholicism,” i.e., the radical privatization of religion that unhinges the connection between faith and public life, religion and morality, prayer and compassion, worship and justice, or in Gospel parlance, love of God and love of neighbor.You can find “Faithful Citizenship” at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.Reprinted with permission from the Montana Catholic, official newspaper for the diocese of Helena.
The changing profile of American seminarians
Oct 1, 2009 / 00:00 amIn April 2009, the Center for Applied Research (CARA) at Georgetown University published an important study titled “The Class of 2009: A Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood.”
Year of the Priest: conciliar themes will emerge
May 14, 2009 / 00:00 amOn March 16, 2009, the evening before Pope Benedict XVI departed for Africa, he made an important announcement. The Holy Father has established a special “Year for Priests,” beginning June 19, 2009, and concluding one year later, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, the Curé d’Ars.