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Pilgrimage to Rome
This coming June 29, Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, I will be in Rome, together with a group of pilgrims from the archdiocese, to receive the pallium from the hands of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.
What is the pallium, and why do I receive it from the pope?
The pallium is a stole of white wool, adorned with three black crosses, that is worn around the neck. All the new archbishops receive it on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul from the hands of the Holy Father.
Every year, on the feast of St. Agnes (whose name in Latin is the feminine of “lamb”), a number of contemplative religious sisters present young lambs to the pope for his blessing. From the wool of these lambs, the sisters then make the pallia that the Holy Father will give to the archbishops appointed during that year.
The symbol couldn’t be more eloquent. I will accept the pallium on my shoulders as a symbol of my calling from the Lord, the high shepherd of the flock, to be a shepherd for the faithful of San Antonio. Not just any kind shepherd, but a good shepherd, willing to give my life for those who have been entrusted to my ministry.
Precisely for this reason the pallium is adorned with three crosses, which symbolize the three nails with which the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross; they show the price paid for our salvation, and thus the price that a good shepherd needs to be willing to pay for the good of his faithful.
This has always been the church’s teaching about what a bishop should be; and Pope Benedict XVI has emphasized this teaching in a very special way. In fact, our current pontiff has been the first one to eliminate the tiara or old papal crown from his coat of arms, replacing it with a miter, the shepherding symbol that we bishops wear on our heads during liturgical celebrations; and he has also been the first one to include the symbol of the pallium, embracing his papal coat of arms.
He wants to show us that the most important part of his ministry is to be a shepherd for the whole church, even amidst of a world full of challenges and confusion. In defining the first priority of his ministry, the pope underscores how easy it is for the sheep to get lost or be devoured by the malignant presence that St. Peter describes with these words: “Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist, be steadfast in faith.”
This is also the mission that was entrusted to me when I was appointed archbishop, and that will be confirmed when I receive the pallium on June 29 in Rome, from the hands of the successor of Peter.
The bishop’s mission of being a shepherd does not make him popular. Many times he needs to point out truths that make people uncomfortable. The symbolism of the pallium allows us to under-stand that the bishop doesn’t have to win a popularity contest, but he has the mission of guiding the people of God, entrusted to him by the Holy Father, and in a special way by the High Shepherd, Jesus Christ, through the pathways of truth and love, imitating the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
In the Gospel, Jesus says of himself, “I am the Good Shepherd . . . I lay down my life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:14f) It is not power, but love that redeems us! This is God’s sign: he himself is love.”
Jesus is the owner of the flock and the head of the church. And when we bishops appear before him, we will have to give an account of our stewardship. To be a good shepherd demands sacrifice and dedication. Parents are the best witnesses of this reality. To give good and solid formation to their children, to be a good shepherd for them, is challenging but rewarding.
For this reason I entrust myself to the prayers of all the faithful of San Antonio. I ask you to continue praying for me, so that on June 29, when I have my first encounter with the new successor of St. Peter, I may receive, along with the pallium, the gifts of God to be always a good shepherd; and that the grace of God will help me to grow in the virtues necessary to walk with the faithful of San Antonio in our journey of faith, hope and love in fidelity to the truth of the Gospel.
I will present to the Holy Father the love and prayers of the faithful of the archdiocese. I will also carry in my heart to present at the tomb of the apostles Peter and Paul, the needs and successes, the joys and sorrows, of each one of you. I ask the Lord and Our Blessed Mother, Mary of Guadalupe, to keep us always united as a church, under a common love to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and in unity with the Holy Father.
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