The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-07-21

now bestowed only on the Bishop OF
Rome. Every bishop is bound by &c
clesiastical law to reside in his diocese,
and discharge his duties therein. This
obligation is fulfilled by residing in any
part of the diocese. The obligation OF
residing in his diocese carries with it
corelative right, viz, that of ruling
and governing not as Wears. but in
their own name as pastors of the entire
flock committed to their charge. A
bishop takes part in his care of souls,
and each diocese has, in matters of dis
cipline, it's own regulations, whilst her
doctrines, sacraments, her services and
Jurisdiction come from the universal
church. A bishops jurisdiction does
not exclude the ordinary and direct
Jurisdiction of the Holy Father, bear
ing the same relation to it as that
which a single state bears to the United
States, whose jurisdiction extends over
any state in the Union.
A bishop, for the insignia of his high
office, wears a ring and golden cross,
and officiating at any public service
he wears the mitre and carries his
crosier. The cross worn on the breast
is emblematic of the golden plate
which Aaron wore over his forehead
and on which were inscribed Holy to
the Lord" Being the overseer of the
house of the Lord, he, like Joseph,
wears a golden chain to which the
cross is suspended. The cross resting
on the breast is to recall the mystery
of Christ dead on the cross, for st. Paul
said: "Glorify and bear God on your
body" Cor. vi, 20. The ring is mark
of the union of the bishop to the
church. 1t is pledge of his faith, that
he is welded to the church and his do
cese. When putting it on, he says:
Beauty the fingers of my body and
soul, o Lord, and surround me with
seven-fold holiness of the Spirit" The
mitre, with its two horns and two tas-
sells, when worn by the bishop in his
throne, marks him as the successor of
the Apostles. The two horns pointing
denote a knowledge of God
as revealed in the Old and New Tesla
ments. They recall the browning of
Moses with horns after returning from
the mountain where God had spoken to
him. The two tassels tipify the plate
of gold which hung from Aaron's mitre.
The crosier is the distinctive mark of
a bishops authority. When presented
to him at his conservation, the conse
orator says: Take the rod of the
pastoral office. that thou may be Sc
we're in correcting vice" Moses, when
sent into Egypt, by Gods command
carried a rod with which he did Won
iers both on the sea and land. Pharav,
with his army, was engulfed in the
sea after Moses stretched forth his rod;
with a stroke of his rod water gushed
from the barren rock. When Christ
sent his disciples to preach they car
ried a staff in their hands, so have
bishops their crosers which denote
their Apostolic authority and the pow
ar they possess, and which should be
exercised in correcting abuses. To this
St. Paul refers when writing to the
Corinthians: Shall 1 come to you
with rod?" 1 Cor. iv., q. The GRO
;ier is curved at the top to signify
hat Episcopal authority is limited by
he power of the Supreme Pontiff. The
Holy Father, as Bisop of Rome, has
10 crosier, because tradition says st. |
Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, gave |
lis crosier to another to raise the dead, +,
llso because the Holy Fathers author
ty is not limited by any power on |
,arth.