The hopes and joys of our bishops

The source of our hope is Christ who by his sacrificial self-giving on the Cross and resurrection, triumphed over evil and death and raised us to new life.

Being a bishop is a challenging job. One must lead and inspire the people, their priests and religious, to ensure the faith is kept alive; a bishop will liaise with government, with the Vatican and with civil society; a bishop will be aware of social and environmental issues; a bishop must manage his diocese; and a bishop will encourage others to follow in his footsteps. Despite the many challenges facing bishops, they can find hope and joy in their lives.

Bishop Frank de Gouveia of Oudtshoorn says there are signs of hope and joy in the midst of the grief and anguish that are part of our lives today.

“The world of today is characterised by economic insecurity and inequality, greed and corruption, moral indifference, family breakdown, depression and addiction, anger and hurt, pleasure and immediate gratification, reluctance to sacrifice for others and to believe in God or indeed anything greater than ourselves or beyond our control. This is the world in which the Church is called to discern signs of hope and joy, faith, forgiveness, mercy, love and care,” he says.

Bishop de Gouveia says these are the qualities embodied by Jesus as he hung on the cross. “He shows this in the way that he relates to his Father, his loved ones and his enemies even as he suffers and dies. This is the source of our hope.”

Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town says hope and joy are two virtues deeply rooted both in the Scriptures and Christian tradition.

“The source of our hope is Christ who by his sacrificial self-giving on the Cross and resurrection, triumphed over evil and death and raised us to new life. St Peter encourages us to ‘set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1 Pet 1:13). Without Christ’s resurrection there is no hope,” the archbishop says. “Our faith is all about hope.”

And from this Christian hope, comes our joy, he says. “Despite what may be perceived as futility, Christ is risen and our life has purpose. In our loyalty to Christ and fidelity to his word — our submission to God’s will — true joy and fulfilment are found,” Archbishop Brislin says.

He says life today is tough. Many people feel stressed out and there is insecurity in a rapidly changing world. But, Archbishop Brislin says, it is necessary to remind ourselves of these fundamental virtues of our faith.

“The theme of hope and joy given to us by the Jesuit Institute in preparation for the anniversary of the Second Vatican Council not only reminds us of this, but also helps us build our lives on the foundations of true values given by our faith.”

Bishop Mlungisi Dlungwane of Mariannhill looks to everyday events to be inspired in his work as bishop of the KwaZulu-Natal diocese, which he has served since 2006.

“There are good times when I feel happy and well received by the people of the diocese, such as at confirmations where I get a chance to meet young people in and outside liturgy,” he says. “Those are moments of great joy and laughter.”

Bishop Dlungwane also finds joy in his work. “When I am able to inspire unity and cooperation in the work we do together as priests and in our relationships among priests and parishioners in the parishes; being able to share our faith, skills and know-how for the common good; and the spreading of the Good News — that is joy,” he says.

In his first year as bishop of Kroonstad (the former priest of the archdiocese of Johannesburg was ordained to the episcopate in June 2011), Bishop Peter Holiday says he received tremendous support from the communities of his diocese.

“We are faced with all sorts of social challenges — a shortage of priests and religious sisters and brothers and poverty. But the Church is very much alive in the 34 communities of the diocese,” says Bishop Holiday.

Bishop Holiday visited almost every parish of the diocese in his first year, and everywhere he visited he saw the “faith was alive”.

“Seeing the life of the Church in different parishes is a great sense of joy for me,” says Bishop Holiday. “The elderly, the youth, married couples, young adults and children — I can see the Church is filled with hope and joy for the future.”

Bishop de Gouveia says there is always the danger that we can look back at the past with nostalgia, either wishing that the Church could return to the security and stability of the pre-Vatican II era or to the optimism of the 1960s when many thought that love, peace, equality and freedom would sweep the world with the dawning of a new age.

“What Vatican II did well was to read the signs of the times that were the 1960s. It was a very optimistic time, but optimism is not the same as true hope and can sometimes be out of touch with reality. Vatican II calls us and people of every time to read the signs of our own times in the light of the Gospel.”

For Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, Vatican II “rekindled a new spirit in the Church. It radically changed the Church’s way of doing and seeing”. He believes this year’s 50th anniversary of Vatican II — “an example of the outpouring of the Spirit” — will serve as inspiration for today and as a source of hope

Bishop de Gouveia refers to the Catholic philosopher Gabriel Marcel who said that there can be no true hope without the temptation to despair.

“The Catholic Church in Southern Africa discerned and amplified signs of hope during the struggle against apartheid, particularly through the statements of the bishops’ conference and other symbolic and meaningful actions. What do we need to do in our parishes and dioceses today so that we can become a more perfect sign of Gospel hope and joy?” he asks.

“The Church is indeed in the modern world, as Vatican II says, and so all those characteristics of 2012 Southern Africa are also present in the Church. We need to continue to discern and amplify best practice in the Church today. We need to hear the stories of communities, parishes and dioceses where there is real racial integration, the sharing of resources, working together, praying together, facing the challenges of diminishing numbers in some areas, sharing youth, family life and evangelisation programmes that are bearing fruit, dealing with complex financial, property and building problems that many parishes and dioceses are facing,” Bishop de Gouveia says.

“Let us advertise and celebrate the signs of hope and joy where the Church is becoming more self-sustaining and sharing,” says Bishop de Gouveia. “To put the emphasis on self-sustaining alone would lead to a parish or diocese becoming too inward-looking and ignoring the needs of our neighbour,” he says, adding that to place the emphasis on sharing alone could encourage dependency.

“A self-sustaining and sharing Church will be a sign of hope and joy and our celebrations at this time will not be simply a re-reading of documents that are 50 years old but a rejoicing in the spirit of Vatican II.”

Bishop Holiday says the people of the diocese encourage him to guide and shepherd the diocese on the needs of the people and on the foundations of bishops before him. “Challenges are part of the work but even these help to guide and enrich and help us to find hope and joy in everything.”

Bishop Dlungwane says joy is easily found but it is equally important to stay hopeful.

“I have hopes  for development and growth in the faith and in self reliance, good marriages and stable family life, protection of children and vulnerable people, good vocations to the priesthood and religious life, the end of poverty and HIV/Aids, finding employment, achieving prosperity and better lives for all our people.”