f) THE CHURCH IS SOVEREIGN

"We must obey the Church because she is a sovereign"

We must listen to the Church because she is a teacher, and we must also obey her because she is a sovereign.

This sovereignty was not conferred on her by human beings but by God himself, the invisible and immortal king of the ages, creator and Lord of heaven and earth.  Jesus once told his Apostles: "As the Father has sent me, so do I send you." That is to say: I send you out with the same purpose, with the same power, with the same unlimited and boundless royal authority, with universal authority.  So great is this authority that not only does it embrace the created universe; it reaches all the way to the throne of God.  In fact, Jesus Christ added: "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  This means that whatever the Church chooses to decree in matters of faith and morals, whatever laws she considers necessary for eternal life, everything will be approved and confirmed in heaven where the very laws of God are written.

So, it follows that Catholics should consider every decision emanating from the Church as a command of God.  Hence, whoever opposes these decisions, these commands of the Church, whoever challenges, resists, or defies these decisions, defies and resists God himself: "he

who despises you despises me."³⁷

"Eager and sincere obedience"

The Apostle Paul wrote to the faithful of Corinth: "I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose." This, too, is the plea I address to you, my dearly beloved.  But how could this perfect unanimity, this harmony be possible without obedience to the Church?

Obedience ‑- eager and sincere obedience ‑- is, as many others have said, the best sacrifice one can offer God because it is the holocaust of the most precious thing we possess, namely our will.  Obedience is unerring because one may make a mistake in commanding, but the one who obeys never makes a mistake.  Obedience is always meritorious because the obedient person multiplies victories and successes.  Obedience is the principle of order, the source of peace and tranquility and the reason for the Church's power and beauty.  Whoever obeys is crowned with glory because he becomes a companion of the saints, a companion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and an imitator of Christ, who became obedient unto death, even death on the cross.³⁸

"It is absolutely necessary to obey one's legitimate Shepherds"

To be a Christian and save one's soul, it is not enough to be baptized.  It is not enough to profess faith in Jesus Christ.  It is not even enough to receive the sacraments themselves. It is also necessary, absolutely necessary, to obey one's legitimate Shepherds: to obey the Pope, obey the bishop, obey those to whom the Pope and the bishop have entrusted the care of our souls.  So, whoever does not obey the Pope, the bishop or the Catholic priest can be anything whatever but not a Christian, surely not a Catholic.  He is a proud man, a hypocrite and nothing else.  He is outside the Church: "Anyone who is not with the bishop is not in the Church," says St. Cyprian whom we

have quoted several times.³⁹

"I am ready to sacrifice everything, even my life, rather than betray my duty"

Two years have already passed since the Spirit of the Lord sent me among you as bishop of your souls.

I can say that, ever since that day, you have become everything for me; and I have gotten to love you with the passion of a father.  I tried, as best I could, to provide for your most urgent needs, even at the cost of sacrifices.  I was always so happy to rush wherever I could dry tears and alleviate sufferings.

But your spiritual welfare was of even greater concern to me.  I spared no effort, no sweat, no prayer as I urged you on to goodness, as I tried to help you keep the sacred deposit of the faith inviolate in your hearts.

In this diocese, I had to be the defender and custodian of Catholic principles.  To achieve this end, what means did I not use?  By word of mouth and in writing, I inculcated, above all, submission to the Vicar of Jesus Christ.  I personally gave you the example by my unlimited and filial obedience to his orders, his words, his teachings, and even his desires because the Vicar of Jesus Christ has the word of truth; and he who listens to him listens to Jesus Christ himself.

If you recall, this was the program I offered you the very first time I had the joy of addressing you from the pulpit of our Cathedral.  We must adhere to this program (...).

In the care of your souls, I have always abided by this principle, which is and always will be the foundation of the Church's unity and power.  I will continue to act this way in the future, whatever may happen.  I am ready to sacrifice everything, even my life, rather than betray my duty.

Like a forward guard of the faith, I will continue, with God's help, to defend among you the great principles of the Catholic faith against all attacks.  Nor will I keep silent about the truth, even when speaking out will bring down on my head the hatred and hostility of some people, for I must please not human beings but God, who is the just judge of human actions.

What is my life?  I have sacrificed it for you and am overjoyed at the

thought of expending it for you.  I know very well that the episcopal office is a martyrdom.  The pectoral cross I wear keeps reminding me of this.⁴⁰

"To fight to the very end for the cause of obedience"

If I did not feel strong enough to fight to the very end for the cause of obedience, I would not hesitate one second to ask the one who raised me to this most honorable See to let me give it up and retire to a monastery to weep over my weaknesses and sins.

So, I appeal to the Catholic sentiments of the vast majority of my sons and daughters and even to the good will of every honorable man and woman, whatever their persuasions.  I ask them whether it is fair, reasonable, and decent to scorn one who refuses to betray his sacred trust and wishes to act honorably in his position, in the presence of God and of the Church.  May God make me worthy of such a sacred trust.  I am determined to carry it out, as I have done in the past, by summoning my helpers, namely, love, patience, long-suffering and meekness, by tempering force with sweetness, and by choosing, as much as possible, sweetness over force, because, like the Apostle Paul, I want to become all things to all so as to save all.

Dear friends, since my great obsession is the salvation of all, my prayers these days were, and will be, especially for those who ‑- certainly through no malice of their own but through thoughtlessness and passion ‑- heaped scorn and insults upon me.  At any rate, I can assure you that, at the moment of my greatest anxiety, with the calm and tranquility of one who knows he has conscientiously done his duty, I overlooked their indignities, entrusting these people to God and blessing them with all my heart.  I was deeply saddened by just one thing, namely, by the offenses committed against Jesus Christ in my humble person.

Venerable pastors, my dearest brothers in the ministry, please share these thoughts of mine with the people entrusted to your care.  Tell them to pray for their bishop because he is in much need of God's help.  Assure them he desires only to see them persevere in goodness.  If they do these things, they will show their gratitude to him for the

great sacrifice he made when he accepted to stand surety for them before God.⁴¹