.- Speaking
to a crowd of some 50,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope
Benedict XVI used his General Audience today to stress the importance
of Episcopal succession, saying that the lineage of today’s faithful
bishops is a historical guarantee of the authentic passing down of the
Apostle’s teaching.
He began by
saying that "The Church, which came into being at Jesus' will and
around Him, continues her journey through history,” and that “The
Twelve ... involved others in the functions with which they themselves
were entrusted, so that those others could continue the ministry.”
“Just as at the
beginning of the apostolic condition there is a call and an invitation
from the Risen One,” the Holy Father went on, “so the call and
invitation of others....from those who are already within the apostolic
ministry, will be the way by which the ministry of the 'episcope' is
passed on."
Pope Benedict
called "the succession of the episcopal function is ... a guarantee of
the endurance of apostolic tradition” saying that “The link between the
college of bishops and the original community of the Apostles may be
seen, above all, as a form of historical continuity.”
He added
however, that “continuity may also be considered in a spiritual sense,
because apostolic succession in the ministry is a privileged place for
the action and transmission of the Holy Spirit."
The Pope then
quoted St. Irenaeus, who wrote that the Church was "founded and
constituted in Rome by the most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul," and
highlights "the tradition of faith that ... comes down to us from the
Apostles through the succession of bishops."
"Episcopal
succession”, Benedict said, “verified on the basis of communion with
the succession of the Church of Rome - is therefore the criterion of
adherence of individual Churches to the tradition of apostolic faith,
... which has come down to us from the origins."
He went on to
explain that according to the ancient Church, "the apostolicity of
ecclesial communion consists in faithfulness to the faith and practice
of the Apostles themselves, through whom the historical and spiritual
link of the Church with Christ is guaranteed.”
“What the
Apostles represent in the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the
early Church,” he explained, “is similarly represented by the
ministerial succession in the relationship between the early Church and
the modern Church.”
He stressed in
conclusion that "This is not a merely material link…rather it is a
historical instrument that the Spirit uses to make the Lord Jesus
present as the leader of His people."
