Quote of the Day

One of the few things that've really gotten in my craw of late is the downright anemic state of bulls of appointment in the new pontificate.

Suffice it to say, it's not good for business.

Gone are the long, flowery, easily de-encryptable Wojtylan testimonies of a nominee's strengths that played into the considerations. (Albeit written by another.) In their place: the catch-all, bland (and completely impossible to read into) statement that the elect is "endowed with the requisite qualities" for higher office.

Whoever's doing the ghostscribing hasn't completely lost the flair, however. At least, they were able to get away with it in one recent letter....

Earlier in the week, I caught a screener of last week's ordination of the new auxiliaries of Boston, Bishops John Dooher and Robert Hennessey; the ring shown above, its image taken from a Japanese fumier of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was given the two new bishops. (Excellent homily and more at the Eminent Blog, also the source of the photo.)

But the closing line from the Pope's letter appointing Dooher caught my ear as probably the most profound, rich, succinct counsel any bulla's manifested in quite some time:

"Then, on receiving the office of Bishop... constantly beg for Divine Help, and conduct yourself as an irreproachable Pastor. The faithful ought to find an exemplar of charity in their Bishop, whose very demeanor is a great lesson, and whose meekness is a power."

Wow.

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