The Pope and the Bishops' advice

Every Pope has his personal charisma, and personal style how to inspire and lead the faithful. This indeed gives not only efficiency but also colour to the office. Every Pope does his best to carry out his Petrine ministry together with the College of Bishops, spread all over the world.

Whereas Pope John Paul II's charisma, vision and health encouraged him to embark on so many pastoral visits in so many countries - and without long intervals in between - Pope Benedict XVI's charisma, vision and style, encouraged him not to leave the Vatican unless his physical presence is really needed elsewhere.

It seems he firmly believes that he has to govern the universal Church with all his zeal and determination from the Vatican, unless the Good Lord tells him "duc in altum". At the same time he strongly believes that he has to govern with the indispensable help of the College of Bishops.

It has to be noted that in his first papal blessing (April 19, 2005) Pope Benedict described himself as a "humble worker in God's vineyard". From the very start, he has tried to deflect people's attention away from the Pope and towards Christ. And while Pope Benedict relies on the collegiality of the Bishops, he has enormously impressed bishops, priests and laity by the clarity and elegance of thinking as well as with the great importance he attaches to the aesthetic of worship. The general idea nowadays is that he is even more accessible an author than his predecessor.

Perhaps it is appropriate to remark that when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he must have seriously reflected on Cardinal Basil Hume's "address" to the US bishops' meeting in June 1999, videotaped shortly before he died.

In his address, Cardinal Hume said that "in his diocese the bishop is the Vicar of Christ for his people, but he also confirms the Pope's universal jurisdiction". Indeed, one of the structures to facilitate the relationship between the Universal Church and the particular Church is the Roman Curia.

But on this point the learned Cardinal says: "For my part, I would like to acknowledge the help and support I have received from the Curia in many situations. But it would be naïve to presume that all relationships with the Curia are good and ideal".

The Cardinal also sounded a note of criticism, out of "fraternal charity and a love of the Church, saying "some of us would have been surprised by the form and tone of some letters from Curial offices... there are concerns about the manner of some Episcopal appointments, and the length of time taken to make them. There is often unease about the way in which theologians and their writings have been investigated. There can be a sense of frustration at not having been consulted on issues that are important to us as local bishops."

Cardinal Hume's final remark was: "In a institution such as the Church, where human being are entrusted with varying tasks, there are bound to be misunderstanding and tensions and a certain clumsiness in dealing with things on a worldwide scale".

This leads the Cardinal to wonder about another important relationship in the Church: that between the Holy Father and his Curia, adding: "That is why I have long thought it would be good if the Pope were to call together all the presidents of the bishops' conference of the world every two years or so, so that he could hear directly their collective advice".