Fr. Matt Kennedy is right from the Bible, honest about the issues, and looking out for the good of souls in his care. Read his message here. Although Bishops carry a "shepherd's staff", it's just a fancy walking stick if they care more for buildings and bucks than for the flock.
2 comments:
I believe the crozier symbolizes both comfort and protection.
As for comfort, it can be used to herd the sheep (and even rescue the lambs if they need to be lifted out of a hole, for instance).
As for protection, it can be a defensive weapon to drive away predators.
Ideally, this is the work of a bishop: consolation (2 Cor. 1.6, e.g.) and defense of the flock (Cf. Ep. to Titus, e.g.). And these are the proper uses of the authority the crozier represents.
Of course, a crozier can be used to harm the sheep and scatter them as well. It is sad to see that some bishops cannot (or will not) see the difference between proper and improper use of their office.
God grant us wisdom for the proper use of the power we have; God forgive us our own abuses of power and hypocrisy; God make us patient witnesses for the truth; God bless every bishop with renewed faithfulness, renewed grief over sin, renewed love for God, God's Word, God's people. Amen.
Laocoon
And Amen. One of my hopes is that all of the current mess will lead to healthy, Biblical exploration of the bishop's role in the life of the church. It's not just some org chart thing - it is explicit in the New Testament and how sad it is to see the office debased. It only leads to "scattering."
Corrupt episcopal behavior is one of the historical sources for all the splintering of the body of Christ. Examples of corrupt bishops are used to justify all kinds of disunity in the church - all in the name of "reform", of course - but often by means that simply don't match up with the New Testament presentation of church order.
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