February 24, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Available videos on the Episcopal Ordination of Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh of Singapore

The part of the laying on of the hands on the Coadjutor Archbishop by the principal consecrator, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, and the co-consecrators and the other bishops present. Pouring of the Holy Spirit (passing of the Apostolic authority), and finally the imposition of the bishop’s pontificalia on the Coadjutor Archbishop, and his enthronement at his cathedra with his new coat-of-arms.

Also included is the special anthem composed by the Cathedral Choir master, titled Ut Vivant, in conjunction with the Coadjutor’s motto, Ut vivant (that they may live).

The speech made by Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh at the end of the Ordination Mass, thanking all present and all who had a hand in making the event a success, and he laid out the vision he has for the Church in Singapore.

(If there is any full video of the event available either on the internet or for purchase, I will update as soon as there is any news available on the matter).

February 23, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh of Singapore and I

I had the privilege to meet our new Coadjutor Archbishop directly today, and had a photo with him, and also received his blessing. It is also my first baciamano (or kissing the bishop’s ring), which is the act of obedience and fidelity to the authority of the Apostles that has been passed down to the bishops, in this case our Coadjutor Archbishop.

Tomorrow, at the Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, will be another time when I can be really close to him, as hopefully, then I can serve the Mass and maybe be his assistant at the Mass.

Pray for our newly ordained Coadjutor Archbishop, and show that he has our full support as he begins his new ministry as bishop.

February 23, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Reminder : Thanksgiving Mass for the Episcopal Ordination of Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh of Singapore

The Thanksgiving Mass for the Episcopal Ordination of Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh Seng Chye of Singapore.

Time : Sunday, 24 February 2013 at 10 am

Location : Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, ‘A’ Queen Street, City Hall area, Singapore

Do come and show our support to the newly ordained Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh in his thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

February 23, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore, Archbishop William Goh ordained at MAX Pavilion, EXPO on Friday, 22 February 2013

On the Feast of Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle, in the presence of 14,000 of the faithful and many other invited state and religious dignitaries, and the presence of several bishops of the region, the priests of the Archdiocese of Singapore, and the priests and religious from the region, from Malaysia, and even from India, and Myanmar, Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore, Archbishop William Goh Seng Chye was ordained bishop by the Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.

Aiding Archbishop Girelli, as the co-consecrators were Archbishop of Singapore, Archbishop Nicholas Chia, and Metropolitan Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam. Also present, and helped with the ordination were the Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Kota Kinabalu, Archbishop John Lee; his successor, Archbishop John Wong; the Bishop of Penang, Bishop Sebastian Francis, and many other archbishops and bishops from the region.

In his speech at the end of the Mass, the newly ordained Archbishop William Goh thanked all those who had made the Ordination Mass possible, despite the short time period of 55 days since the announcement that he has been made the Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore. He thanked the organising committee for their hard work to ensure that a proper place is secured and everything falls right into place on the day of the event. He showed that the Church in Singapore is vibrant, and can indeed grow even more, and that all of us the faithful, has to be proactive, and reach out to others, and not be passive. He and Archbishop Girelli also warned against the temptations of the modern world, including moral relativism and other forms of relativism.

Now that our Coadjutor Archbishop has finally been ordained, let us all pray for him, that as he begin this new journey, this new ministry as bishop, Archbishop William Goh will continue to be guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, that through him and his works, our faith in God will continue to be ever strengthened.

February 22, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Friday, 22 February 2013 : Feast of Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (Scripture Reflection)

Today, one might ask, why do we celebrate the feast of a chair? Why the chair of St. Peter? As we all should know, that all dioceses in the world has Cathedrals, one in each diocese, and in the Cathedral, there is a special ‘chair’ that only the ordinary or the bishop of the diocese can sit on. This is because that chair is the Cathedra, the bishop’s throne or seat, which represents his authority, which is given from the Lord Himself.

Where does this authority come from? Right, you all should know indeed, that it came eventually, down the centuries and millenia from the early leaders of the Church, who themselves receievd that power and authority from the Apostles, whose leader is Peter, who was then known as Simon, son of Jonah, or Simon Bar-Jona, the fisherman.

Simon answered out of great courage and speak out the truth sincerely about Christ, who is indeed the Messiah and the Son of the living God, who has come to save the world, although maybe none at that time has yet to understand that He has to do this through His suffering and ultimately death on the cross. But indeed, for the great act of faith that Simon showed, Christ entrusted him with His authority and power, as His vicar on earth, simply through the words that He mentioned, that He will give Simon the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and He will build His Church, that is all the faithful in Him, united as one Body, on him as the foundation.

Hence, that is why Christ renamed Simon as Peter, whose Aramaic (the language spoken at the time of Jesus) origin was Kephas/Kepha, which means rock, that was then translated to Greek as Petros, and then to Latin as Petrus, which all means rock. The Gospel indeed has some pun to the word as Christ did say, “You are Peter and on this Rock…”, which one may interpret as the play on the word Petros/Petrus/Kepha, and there are those, who said that the rock does not refer to Peter at all.

No, this cannot be, since that Rock does refer to Peter, and why? It is because of his great faith in Christ, that is like a great rock, will become the most suitable foundation of His Church on this world, for Peter himself later on, as the leader of the Church, rooted himself firmly in Christ, even to his death in Rome.

It does not mean that Peter did not falter in his faith and dedication to the Lord. As everyone should know, that Peter was well-known for his betrayal of the Lord, even after he said during the Last Supper that he would never leave or abandon the Lord, but when Jesus was tried and mocked, and someone suspected Peter of being Christ’s accomplice, he denied Christ three times, out of fear and uncertainty, seeing that the Lord he has always believed in, has now been judged and soon to be sentenced to death.

Nevertheless, it is not Peter’s failures that we should focus on, but rather, what happens after, as he should indeed be a role model to all of us, that after whenever we fall, we must rise up again and rise up ever stronger than before, even stronger than before we fall. It was Peter who led the Apostles in the days after the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ, and it was to him that Christ asked, “Peter, do you love Me.”, also three times.

Just as we often heard indeed in the Bible that God is merciful and willing to forgive all who had erred but yet willing to fully turn themselves back towards Him again, the same thing was what Christ did to Peter. Peter knew that he had been forgiven, and he gave Christ the promise of undying and eternal love, and that he will never fail Him again as before. Christ then entrusted the care of all His sheep in this world, all those who believe in Him, in Peter, whom He then affirm as the leader of all the faithful, and His representative in this world.

It is at that point that Christ entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and built His Church, which began on Pentecost, with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It was Peter who defended Christ and gave a fiery speech, asking the people to believe in Christ, and caused many to convert to the cause of God, and therefore, marked the very beginning of the Church.

Through Peter, we have many of his successors, who are the Bishops of Rome. Why the Bishop of Rome? This is because, in the established tradition and the letters following the events of the New Testament, Peter would travel to Rome eventually and settled there, before being martyred by the Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire sometime in 67 AD, not long after the other great Apostle Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, who is also associated together with the Bishop of Rome.

St. Peter in his great humility, when he was about to be crucified, through which he will face his martyrdom, refused to be crucified in the same way as the Lord did, and thus chose to be crucified upside down. This is what we know now as the ‘upside-down’ cross, or the cross of St. Peter.

Many had misunderstood this ‘upside-down’ as the symbol of the Antichrist, when the Pope, for example Blessed Pope John Paul II utilised it on his chair during his visit to the Holy Land, which in fact is the symbol of his own authority as the successor of St. Peter, and the symbol of Peter’s humility in being crucified upside-down that he would not die the same way as Christ, as he felt unworthy to do so. Now that all of you know about this, tell those who has yet to know about this, that they too may know and not linger in falsehood, but remain in the truth.

The chair of St. Peter can be seen at the back of the High Altar below the famous Holy Spirit stained glass on the walls of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, which was built on the spot where St. Peter was buried after his martyrdom. This chair, which is armless, and made of wood and inlaid with precious metals, contains the materials from the original chair that was known to have been used by St. Peter himself when he was in Rome. In a sense, this was St. Peter’s cathedra, and thus, the very first seat of authority that was present in this world.

Many of the Bishops of Rome who succeeded Peter had been great Popes, and many too had been saints and great saints, contributing greatly to the growth of the Church of Christ to whom they are entrusted to, through Peter. Of course there are also some Popes who had been bad Popes, and were great sinners. We condemn what they did, which in one way or another have done bad to the Church of Christ and to the faithful, due to their failure to faithfully carry out the mission that has been entrusted by Christ to them through Peter.

The Popes, who are the Bishops of Rome, are human too, as St. Peter was, and therefore was also prone to sins and errors as other mankind are, but we had indeed gone a long way since St. Peter was entrusted with the keys of kingdom of heaven. After the Council of Trent, and the succeeding councils, the Church has rediscovered itself, and led by the Pope, who is the leader of all the faithful in Christ, we continue in our mission that Christ had given us, that is to spread the Gospel, the Good News to all, and to baptise everyone in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray for our Pope, the successor of St. Peter the Apostle, that he will continue to carry out his mission entrusted to Him by Christ, and use the authority he was given to unite all the faithful in Christ. Now that our Pope, our beloved Pope Benedict XVI has decided to step down due to ill health, we pray for him that God will continue to watch over him in his retirement, and we pray for whoever his successor as the Bishop of Rome, St. Peter’s successor, will be. It is out of the same humility that our Pope has decided to step aside, because he felt that someone else can better fulfill the roles and mission entrusted to the Popes since St. Peter, just like Peter himself humbly asked to be crucified upside-down to not die the way Christ died for the salvation of the world.

St. Peter the Apostle, you to whom Christ entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and upon whom He built His Church, pray for us, pray for our Pope Benedict XVI, your successor, and his successors, and pray for the new Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore, Msgr. William Goh Seng Chye, who will be ordained today, and who will receive the authority given to him through the endless succession that came from you, and from Christ, who gave you the authority over the Church and the world. Pray for us, St. Peter. Amen.

February 21, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Programme of the Episcopal Ordination Mass of Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore, Archbishop William Goh Seng Chye

http://www.catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8454:programme-for-ordination-mass&catid=328:episcopal-ordination&Itemid=147 (programme and details of the Mass, including the hymns to be used in the Episcopal Ordination Mass)

PROGRAMME FOR ORDINATION MASS
FRI 22 FEB 2013 AT 7.30PM
SINGAPORE EXPO, THE MAX PAVILION (TMP) AND HALL 9

Time	Event	Remarks
4.00pm	Doors open
6.30pm	Praise and Worship
7.00pm	Arrival of Guests
7.10pm	Arrival of Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Mrs Menon	Welcomed by Archbishop Nicholas Chia, Mr Xavier Wan, Chairman of Organising Committee and Mr Andrew Low, Vice-Chairman of Organising Committee
7.15pm	Arrival of DPM, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean and Mrs Teo
7.20pm	Arrival of President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs Tan
7.30pm – 10.30pm	Mass begins with Entrance Hymns: 1) Priestly People 2) Praise to the Lord 3) The Church’s One Foundation 4) Great is Thy Faithfulness 5) Behold Among Men 6) Great Is Thy Faithfulness 7) Entrance Chant	Procession of Archbishops and Priests
	Greeting, Penitential Rite, Kyrie
	The Gloria
	Collect
	Liturgy of the Word: 1) First Reading (1 Peter 5: 1-4) 2) Responsorial Psalm (Ps 22) 3) Second Reading (2 Cor 5:13-21)	To be seated
	Gospel Acclamation	To stand
	Gospel (Matthew 16: 13-19)
	Rite of Ordinationbeginning with Hymn Veni Creator Spiritus	To stand
	Presentation of the Elect
	Reading of the Apostolic Letter and Consent of the People	To be seated
	Homily	Remain seated
	Promise of the Elect
	Litany of Supplication	To stand
	Litany of the Saints	To kneel; Non-Catholics may be seated
	Laying on of Hands	To stand
	Book of Gospel
	Prayer of Consecration
	Anointing of the Bishop’s Head · Chrism · Bread to clean oil from head · Zucchetto · Wash bowl for Consecrator	Remain standing
	Presentation of the Book of Gospels
	Investiture of Bishop · Ring · Mitre · Crozier Antiphon: Cantate Domino Cantate Novum
	Procession to Seat of Bishop · Anthem based on Bishop’s motto	Remain standing
	Kiss of Peace · Hymn – Make us True Servants	Seated during singing of hymn
	Liturgy of the Eucharist · Offertory Procession · Singing of Hymns – 1) Jubilate Deo (done in 4 languages – Bahasa, English, Mandarin, and Tamil) 2) Take my life and Let it Be · Preparation of the Altar and The Gifts	Remain seated
	Invitation to Prayer Prayer over the offerings Preface	To stand
	Sanctus	To stand
	Eucharistic Prayer Memorial acclamation Great Amen	To kneel; Non-Catholics may be seated
	Lord’s Prayer	To stand
	Lamb of God	To kneel; Non-Catholics may be seated
	Communion Hymns: 1) Ecce Panie 2) I Am the Bread of Life (verses in Bahasa, English, Mandarin, and Tamil) 3) Holy Is the Lord	To be seated – Reception of Holy Communion is only for Baptised Catholics – At this juncture, Priests on stage would be led by wardens to 120 different points within TMP and Hall 9 to distribute Communion
	Solemn Blessing Hymns: 1) Te Deum 2) Magnifcat	To stand – Newly ordained Coadjutor Archbishop will walk around TMP and Hall 9 to bless the congregation
	Short Address by His Grace Archbishop Nicholas Chia	To be seated
	Short Address by Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh	To be seated
	Recessional 1) Long Live The Pope 2) We Stand For God	To stand Procession of Priests
10.30pm	Dispersal of Congregation
10.30pm	Light Refreshments for VIPs only in Omega Room 1&2

February 21, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Reminder : Episcopal Ordination of the Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore, Msgr. William Goh at EXPO tomorrow, Friday, 22 February 2013

The Episcopal Ordination of the Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore, Msgr. William Goh, will be held at the EXPO, Singapore, tomorrow, Friday, 22 February 2013, on the Feast of Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle, beginning at 7.30 pm.

For those who are going for the event, the doors will be open at 4.00 pm, and sessions of prayer will begin at 6.30 pm to prepare for the Ordination Mass which will begin at 7.30 pm. The event will be held at both MAX Pavilion and Hall 9 of EXPO. It is highly advised to take the public transport to the site, as parking spaces may be limited, and to avoid traffic jam during the event.

For more details on tomorrow and the following events after the Ordination Mass, please visit the CatholicNews site at :

http://www.catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8332:episcopal-ordination-solemn-vespers-holy-hour-thanksgiving-mass-&catid=328:episcopal-ordination&Itemid=147

The official press release on the Episcopal Ordination of the Coadjutor Archbishop can be found here :

http://www.catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8453:press-release-episcopal-ordination-of-msgr-william-goh-as-the-coadjutor-archbishop-of-singapore&catid=328:episcopal-ordination&Itemid=147

(Text below)

The Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli will preside at the Mass for the Episcopal Ordination of Monsignor William Goh as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Singapore. He will be assisted by Archbishop of Singapore Nicholas Chia, and Archbishop Murphy Pakiam from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The Ordination will be held on 22^ndFebruary at 7.30 pm at the Singapore Expo (The Max Pavilion and Expo Hall 9).

The Ordination will be witnessed by the President and Mrs Tony Tan Keng Yam, who will be joined by other dignitaries including Deputy Prime Minister and Mrs Teo Chee Hean, Members of Parliament, the President and members of the Inter-Religious Organisation, the clergy, religious and laity from Singapore and around the region.

On Saturday, 23^rd February 2013, at 10.30am, Prime Minister and Mrs Lee Hsien Loong, as well as Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong, will attend an Official Reception at the Catholic Spirituality Centre at Upper Serangoon Road, together with other VIPs.

Meanwhile, the Mass is expected to attract a capacity crowd of about 14,000 people from across the Catholic community in Singapore. This historic milestone in the calendar of the Singapore Catholic church comes close on the heels of the Vatican’s announcement of Msgr William’s appointment on 29^th December, 2012 as the Coadjutor Archbishop

Mgsr William, who is the fourth and current Rector of St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Singapore, was ordained as a priest on 1^st May, 1985 by the late Archbishop Gregory Yong at the Church of the Holy Family. During his 27 years of service as a priest he has distinguished himself as a visionary and change-agent, turning around not just the culture of organisations especially the way seminarians are formed but also the lives of thousands through the Conversion Experience Retreats that he conducts. He is also a persuasive homilist and convincing teacher, drawing large audiences to the weekly spiritual growth talks that he conducts at the Catholic Spirituality Centre and the daily scripture reflections he posts on its website. Hence, the wide interest among many who will come to witness the Mass for the ordination of Msgr William. Among qualities attributed to him are that he is a people’s priest; one who is at once passionate about his ministry and the Church yet compassionate with all those who are wounded and in need of spiritual, emotional and psychological healing. Notwithstanding the many demands on his time, he is always ready to make time for others, often at the expense of his own comfort. He is a unifying figure who firmly subscribes to the Principles of St Augustine of unity in essentials, diversity in non-essentials but in all things, charity.

Msgr William, in sharing his thoughts on his new role said: “I see a powerhouse of bubbling enthusiasm, grace and talent among the Presbyterium and Laity (particularly the youth) that can be harnessed and unleashed to propel the Church forward in this new millennium. Together, we must find new and creative ways to catechize our youth, who are looking for a faith that is personal, real and tangible. We must harness modern technology to influence the values of society. We must also give greater attention to the family and married life, which is under threat by a world that no longer believes in the sanctity and indissolubility of the Sacrament of Matrimony. We must protect the institution of the family, which is the first cradle for Catholic spirituality. The Church must reclaim its voice in influencing world views, without fear, particularly with respect to the universal values of truth and justice. We must continue to steadfastly resist the lure of secularism and relativism which threaten to suppress the voice of God by working assiduously in the areas of inter-religious dialogue and ecumenism. Unless religions unite, faith will be relegated to the private domain of an individual’s life, thereby weakening the impact of religions on society and morality.”

Notwithstanding the issues at large, Msgr William said, “What I hope for above all in my episcopacy is to be both an encouraging and supportive brother to my priests, empowering them in their ministry, and a compassionate and caring father to the laity. We must, therefore, work to becoming a vibrant, faith-filled, visionary and evangelical Church and not be complacent or satisfied with a maintenance Church. This will be achieved not only by me, nor the clergy, religious or just the laity, but together as the entire People of God in unity. Hence, ‘passion’ and ‘compassion’ will be the hallmarks and thrust of my ministry in renewing the Church in Singapore.”

The Ordination Mass
The Ordination Mass will be preceded by half an hour of Praise and Worship at 6.30 pm.

The Episcopal Ordination Mass begins with the procession of Bishops and Priests, followed by the Greeting, Penitential Rite, the Gloria, the Collect and the The Liturgy of the Word.

This will be followed immediately by the Rite of Ordination, when the Elect is presented. The Apostolic Letter is then read and the Consent of the People given. His Excellency, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, will then deliver a Homily, after which the Elect will make his Promise, followed by the Laying on of Hands on the candidate.

Following this will be the Prayer of Consecration, Anointing of the Bishop’s head and Presentation of the Book of Gospels before the Investiture. During the investiture ceremony, the newly-appointed Bishop will be presented with his ring, the mitre and crozier. The newly ordained Coadjutor Archbishop will then be led to the Seat of Bishop and embraced by the Bishops in a Kiss of Peace.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist will follow, where there will be an Offertory Procession, Holy Communion and Solemn Blessing.

A 322-strong combined church choir from the 31 parishes in Singapore will be in attendance to provide the sacramental music. In addition, 579 lay volunteers drawn from parishes across Singapore will serve in various capacities as altar servers, wardens, ushers, security, public relations and other duties. The Episcopal Ordination Mass will be concelebrated by 17 bishops and 151 priests from Singapore and the region.

As Coadjutor Archbishop

Msgr William will be the second Singapore-born clergyman to hold the office of Archbishop. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd will be the seat of Coadjutor Archbishop William when the current Archbishop Nicholas Chia retires. Thereafter, Archbishop William will lead the flock of 31 churches (28 parish churches and 3 non- parish churches). As at October 2012, there are 71 diocesan priests, 71 religious priests, 35 religious brothers and 166 sisters serving the people in different capacities, from parish priests, counsellors, social workers to teachers and nurses.

The Catholic population in Singapore is approximately 303,000, which includes permanent residents and foreigners living and working here.

February 21, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Episcopal Ordination of Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh of Singapore, Part II : The office of Bishop, what they wear, and their significance

Continuing from the first part, in which I elaborated on the Episcopal Ordination ceremony itself, let us now take a look at the office of the Episcopate itself, that is of a bishop. One may ask, who is a bishop? Bishops are ‘overseers’, which came from the Greek word, Episkopos, which means overseers, as in the early Church, there are those appointed to succeed the Apostles and oversee the Christian communities, to care for them like shepherds care for their flocks of sheep.

Such was the origin of the episcopate, with bishops as those appointed in positions of authority and with oversight over the laity and the religious alike, to keep them faithful to God, and united to the successor of the blessed Apostle Peter, who is our Pope.

This development of the early Church eventually become an office on its own, a separate level from the priesthood, as in the episcopate, there is a fulfillment and completion of the holy orders, which is symbolised by the bishop wearing both the deacon’s dalmatic, and the priest’s chasuble over the dalmatic. This symbolises the union of the ministry of the diaconate and the priesthood in the person of the bishop, who represents the completion of holy orders.

Cardinals and Popes are not separate orders on their own, unlike the diaconate, priesthood, and the episcopate, as these are just different types of bishops, with Cardinals usually being bishops from important dioceses/archdioceses in the world, and the officials of the Roman Curia (the body governing the Universal Church), and the Pope, being the Bishop of Rome, is still a bishop, but is preeminent due to him being the successor of the Apostle Peter, to whom Christ entrusted His Church, and thus the Pope becomes the very Vicar of Christ in this world.

There are also many types of bishops, which I will elaborate further below :

1. Diocesan bishops : These are the ordinary bishops, who head a diocese. A diocese is a division of the Church in a certain geographical area consisting of the faithful in Christ, who may share same culture, language, and customs, or may be of diverse linguistic and cultural origins.

2. Archbishops : These are the bishops who head a more important diocese, either by location, or by history, or by some other reasons. These dioceses therefore are also correspondingly named archdioceses. There are two types of archdioceses :

a. Metropolitan Archdiocese : An archdiocese that has an overseer status over one or more other dioceses (called suffragan dioceses or suffragan sees) which are grouped together into an Ecclesiastical Province (or Province of the Church), and headed by a Metropolitan Archbishop, whose distinguishing feature is that he wears a pallium (a woolen shoulder band with black crosses).

b. Archdioceses (directly subject) : These Archdioceses are important dioceses which has either been historically a metropolitan see or diocese that were elevated to an archdiocese status, but these are not overseeing any dioceses under them, and therefore stand alone on its own, directly subject to the Holy See, to the Pope, instead of through a Metropolitan. The Archdiocese of Singapore is of this type.

3. Auxiliary bishops : These are ‘helper’ bishops, who are appointed in larger dioceses/archdioceses to help with the administration of the diocese/archdiocese’s large Catholic population. May also succeed the diocesan bishop/archbishop upon retirement if selected by the Pope, but this succession is not automatic (not like that of a coadjutor). They are given titular see (diocese/archdiocese) upon their appointment as auxiliary bishop.

4. Coadjutor Archbishops/Bishops : These are bishops/archbishops appointed to dioceses/archdioceses to succeed the diocesan bishop/archbishop, whose age may be nearing 75 or in ill health. Bishops have to submit their resignation to the Pope upon reaching the age of 75, so the appointment of a coadjutor is a way to ensure that the diocese does not become vacant if the diocesan bishop resigns, and is a good way to prepare the coadjutor for the eventual succession and duty as the new bishop of the diocese. Coadjutors are not given any titular sees since they are bound immediately to the see (diocese/archdiocese) which they are to succeed in the future.

5. Titular dioceses/archdioceses : These are usually ancient dioceses/archdioceses, mostly located in North Africa and the Middle East, which due to historical events, had fallen into seclusion and extinction. Some can also be found in Europe and Italy, where some dioceses and archdiocese had been suppressed in the past, and become titular sees. These are now given to Apostolic Nuncios, Apostolic Delegates, and the auxiliary bishops.

6. Major Archdioceses : These are only found in the Eastern Catholic Churches, namely the main diocese in the Syro-Malankar, Syro-Malabar, Romanian, and Ukrainian Eastern Catholic Churches, whose importance place them into this special type of Archdioceses, but not high enough to be given the title of a Patriarchate itself.

7. Patriarchate (Latin and Eastern Catholic) : These are the special Patriarchal sees headed by a Patriarch, which in the Eastern Catholic Churches are the leaders of their respective Churches, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. They are the Patriarchs of the ancient Pentarchy, of Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch, and historically of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). However, in our approach to our sister Church of the Eastern Orthodox (who is not yet in full communion with Rome), we respect their Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who is the leader of the Eastern Orthodox faithful. Latin Patriarchates also exist in Lisbon, Venice, and Goa, which are headed by Roman Catholic Archbishops, but with special Patriarchal title, due to their distinctive history in the Church. Rome itself was a Patriarchate (of the West) until 2006, but was abolished by Pope Benedict XVI to better reflect the position of the Pope as the leader of the Universal Church, and not just the Church of the West (the Roman Church).

So, therefore, after talking about bishops, who they are, and what types of bishops are there, let us now look into the vestments and the items particular to bishops, all of which are steeped in the tradition of the faith and filled with deep symbolism.

1. Working dress (worn outside Mass and important events, the daily wear of bishops, and also for Cardinals and Popes)

a. Simar

A simar is a special type of cassock worn by the bishops, cardinals, and popes, that is a cassock with a shoulder cape, and a sash (around the waist), which is violet for bishops, scarlet for cardinals, and white for popes. As is well known, the Pope’s simar is white in colour, while bishop’s and cardinal’s simar is black, and with violet lining for bishops, and scarlet lining for cardinals.

b. Pectoral cross (also part of the pontificalia and the choir dress)

The pectoral cross is worn as its name suggests, on the breast, to represent Christ who protects us from harm, as noted in the prayer of the bishop when he wear the pectoral cross before the Mass, called Munire me digneris : Munire digneris me, Domine Jesu Christe, ab omnibus insidiis inimicorum omnium, signo sanctissimae Crucis tuae: ac concedere digneris mihi indigno servo tuo, ut sicut hanc Crucem, Sanctorum tuorum reliquiis refertam, ante pectus meum teneo, sic semper mente retineam at memoriam passionis, et sanctorum victorias Martyrum. (May You graciously protect me, o Lord Jesus Christ, from all the snares of all my enemies, the sign of the Your most holy Cross: that You would vouch and grant to me and all unworthy of being Your servant, that I may receive the Cross, filled with the remains of Your Saints, in front of my breast, I hold, then it always in mind, but retain the memory of the passion, martyrs and saints victories.).

This is because pectoral crosses are usually precious and contain the relics of the saints, which therefore be further a reminder that the bishop carries with Him at all times, Christ, and His holy Saints, and a reminder of the Cross, through which the salvation of our Lord comes to us.

c. Zucchetto (or skullcap)

Zucchetto is from the Italian word which means small gourd, because its shape which resembles (half of) a pumpkin. This is a head covering item for the bishops, cardinals, and popes, with the similar pattern of violet for bishops, scarlet for cardinals, and white for popes. This item has a lot in common and may have originated from the Jewish prayer cap, which is somewhat different from the zucchetto in appearance. Originally zucchetto has a practical use in the past, since the clergy in that era were tonsured, that is having their head shaved at the centre, and thus, without the present day heating available, during cold times, the head of the prelate (bishops) would become cold, and the zucchetto came in handy as a covering.

Nowadays, it is a symbol of prayer, and also honor, and therefore, as a sign of humility, it is always removed at the beginning of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer and the head of the bishops (including cardinals and Popes) remain bare throughout the Eucharistic Prayer and the Communion.

d. Episcopal ring

The episcopal ring symbolises the bishop as the shepherd is married to God’s Church, in particular the diocese and the sheep, the faithful in Christ whom he is supposed to guide as the shepherd. The prayer the bishop said when wearing it reflects that this ring is also a symbol of virtue and sanctification, and blessing : Cordis et corporis mei, Domine, digitos virtute decora, et septiformis Spiritus sanctificatione circumda. (With my heart and of my body, O Lord, decorate my fingers with virtue, and sanctify me with the sevenfold blessing of the Holy Spirit around me).

2. Choir dress (worn during the Mass if the bishop is not the celebrant or concelebrant in the Mass, and events like Vespers, and also worn outside for important events)

a. Cassock with fascia/sash

This cassock with sash style is similar to the simar, but is entirely violet for bishops and scarlet for cardinals (as opposed to black with violet or scarlet lining)

b. Rochet

A beautiful, usually thin, either white or translucent, and laced piece of clothing worn over the cassock and the fascia, as seen worn above by Monsignor Georg Ganswein, now Archbishop Ganswein, Prefect of the Pontifical Household.

c. Mozzetta

Mozzetta (violet for bishops) is a shoulder cape worn over the rochet and the cassock.

d. Pectoral cross

Similar with in working dress, but more often worn with a cord rather than a chain.

e. Zucchetto

Violet for bishops. Similar as in the working dress.

f. Biretta

A hat-like item which has the same ancestry as our modern academic mortar board (worn on the graduations in universities), which is violet for bishops and has a pom-pom like object on the top. Only has three peaks, and the unpeaked side is always worn on the left.

3. Bishop’s Pontificalia (worn during the Mass when celebrating)

a. Dalmatic

Similar as those worn by deacons, which has squarish-edges as compared to the chasuble (which has more rounded edges), worn over the alb but under the chasuble. Here is the picture of our Pope Benedict XVI wearing the dalmatic during the consecration of a new church in Rome, after he took off his chasuble for the anointing of the altar with holy oils.

b. Chasuble

Chasuble as worn by the priests, worn over the dalmatic and the stole, and in this picture, Pope Benedict XVI wore the more traditional Roman-style chasuble, and very visibly underneath the chasuble, is the dalmatic. Only bishops can wear both the chasuble and the dalmatic.

c. Pectoral cross

Worn under the chasuble, not over the chasuble, either the normal chained or corded pectoral cross. Not correctly worn when worn above the chasuble, although many bishops seem to do this. Pope Benedict XVI himself consistently wear the pectoral cross under the chasuble since the beginning of his Pontificate.

d. Episcopal ring

Worn on the finger, which signify his marriage to God and His Church.

e. Mitre

Worn over the zucchetto on the head, and was developed from the camelaucum, or the secular headdress of the late Roman Empire and early Byzantine Empire, where they are also worn by the Popes and the Roman priests, and gradually was restricted only to bishops and abbots.

The mitre symbolises the teaching authority of the bishops, which are symbolised by the two peaks of the mitre, representing the Old and the New Testament, and also recall the flames of the Holy Spirit that inflame the hearts of the Apostles to spread the Good News to all peoples. Therefore, these represents the authority of the bishop to teach the Gospel through the Holy Spirit and based on the Scripture, the Word of God, both the Old and the New Testament. The two lappets behind the mitre themselves also represent the Old and the New Testament, the two sides of the Lord’s Sacred Scripture (which shape looks just like a book marker).

f. Crosier (Pastoral staff)

The crosier, or the pastoral staff is the crook-like staff, reminding us on the shepherd’s crook, which they use to shepherd their sheep. Thus, the crosier represents the bishops’ role as the shepherds of the people of God, and guide them in their journey towards the Lord, the Chief Shepherd, the Good Shepherd.

g. Pallium (only for Metropolitan Archbishops and the Pope)

The pallium is a woolen band worn around the shoulder. This represent the metropolitan’s role as the overseer of the faithful, over the sheep of the Lord, that is the faithful people of God, just like Jesus, the Good Shepherd carrying His sheep on His shoulder. Therefore, the pallium represents both the authority of the metropolitan, and the burden presented by his ministry in the service of the Lord.

The pallium used to be much wider, as reflected in the earlier pallium that Pope Benedict XVI wore, which used the style not worn since a millenia ago, in the earlier days of the Church. Now the most common form of the pallium is a shorter and narrower woolen band worn around the shoulders, and adorned with three pins that represent the nails that pieced Christ on the cross, and these pins were placed onto the black crosses (red for Pope Benedict XVI’s new, larger pallium and the earlier, much larger pallium), which represent the wounds of Christ.

After all that, and after looking into what a bishop is, what is the nature of the ministry of the bishops, the types of bishops, what they wear and what symbolisms are there in them, let us now take a time to pray, and pray indeed for the soon-to-be ordained Coadjutor Archbishop, William Goh, of the Archdiocese of Singapore.

May God be with him all the days of his new ministry as bishop, and strengthen him at all times, that when his ministry begins this Friday, the Holy Spirit will guide him and keep him faithful to the ministry he has been chosen for, forever and ever. Amen!

February 18, 2013 by petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang

Episcopal Ordination of Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh of Singapore, Part I : The Mass and ceremony itself

What is an Episcopal Ordination? It is the event celebrated with a Mass that mark the continuation of the Apostolic ministry to a new bishop, signified most importantly by the laying of hands by other bishops and the presiding bishop (consecrator), and the imposition of the pontificalia or the vestments and items particular to bishops, which are all representative of his ministry as bishop.

I have written this in conjunction with the Episcopal Ordination of the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Singapore, Archbishop William Goh Seng Chye, which will be held in the EXPO, Singapore on Friday, 22 February 2013, on the Feast of Chair of St. Peter.

Some terms :

Consecrator : the main presiding bishop at the Episcopal Ordination, similar to celebrant in the celebration of the Mass. In the case of Friday’s ordination, it will be the Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli

Co-consecrators : the assistant bishops at the Episcopal Ordination, similar to concelebrant in the celebration of the Mass. In the case of Friday’s ordination, it will be the Archbishop of Singapore, Archbishop Nicholas Chia, and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam.

Other bishops present in the Ordination can also help out with the laying of the hands, following that of the consecrator and co-consecrator’s laying of hands.

The ceremony itself will begin as a usual Mass would, beginning with the entrance procession. The new bishop to be ordained usually walks in front of the presiding bishop (consecrator), and usually accompanied by two deacons (just as all bishops should, that means the presiding bishop too when available should also have two deacons to accompany him).

Then begin the Mass as usual with the incensing of the altar, the sign of the Cross, the opening address if there is any, and followed by the Penitential Act (I confess to Almighty God…) and the Kyrie (Lord have mercy). Gloria follows after that. One may ask that this is Lenten season where Gloria is not used, but the day of the ordination for this case, 22 February falls on the Feast of Chair of St. Peter where Gloria is used (as is Te Deum later in the ceremony).

After Gloria concludes, then it comes to the opening prayer, and then the readings come as per the usual Mass. First Reading, followed by the Psalm, and finally by the Gospel. No Alleluia for this case since it happens during Lent, and at Lent Alleluia is always omitted, so we have the Lenten Gospel Acclamation instead.

After the Gospel, the Ordination ceremony proper begins.

The first part begins with usually the singing of the Hymn of the Holy Spirit (Veni Creator Spiritus), with all the verses used. Then after the Hymn is completed, this is followed by the presentation of the Bishop/Archbishop-elect, that is Coadjutor Archbishop-elect William Goh in this case (He is not yet legally and validly bishop at this point).

The presiding bishop can give a homily following the presentation of the Bishop-elect, usually to explain on the ministry of the bishop and the nature of that ministry.

Then the promise/vow of the bishop-elect follows, where the new Bishop solemnly vows before God his promise : (In Latin and English)

1. Latin : Antiqua sanctorum Patrum institutio praecipit, ut, qui Episcopus ordinandus est, coram populo interrogetur de proposito fidei servandae et muneris exsequendi.

Vultis ergo, frater carissimus (fratres carissimi if plural), munus nobis ab Apostolis creditum et vobis per impositionem manuum nostrarum tradendum cum gratia Spiritus Sancti usque ad mortem explere?

English : The ancient rule of the holy Fathers ordains that a Bishop-elect is to be questioned in the presence of the people on his resolve to uphold the faith and to discharge his duty.

And so dear brothers, do you resolve by the grace of the Holy Spirit to discharge until death the office entrusted to us by the Apostles, which we are about to pass on to you by the laying on of our hands?