Pastoral Message of the Rt. Rev. Philip Tartaglia, Bishop of Paisley, on the occasion of his First Visit Ad Limina Apostolorum 2010

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

30th/31st January 2010

My dear brother and sisters in Christ,

Every five years, the Bishops must make a visit to Rome called the Ad Limina visit. The full term is Ad Limina Apostolorum, which means literally “To the thresholds of the Apostles”. The bishops visit the tombs of the Apostles and present a Five-Yearly Report to the Holy Father on the state of our dioceses.

This week I will be in Rome with the other Scottish bishops’ for our Ad Limina visit. During this event, the Bishops of Scotland will meet Pope Benedict XVI both individually and as a Bishops’ Conference. These encounters with the Successor of Peter have the purpose of assisting the bishops to evaluate more deeply the present situation and to focus their efforts both locally and nationally over the next five year period. We will also have the opportunity to meet with the various departments of the Roman Curia, the Church’s central administration.

In order to prepare for the Ad Limina, bishops are required to send to the Holy Father in advance a lengthy report on the state of their dioceses. I prepared that report some time ago with the help of my principal advisers. As the report was put together, it became obvious that there was much to be positive about in the Diocese of Paisley: our parish communities are in good spirits; the priests are committed to Christ and to his Church; Mass and the Sacraments are celebrated in a holy and devout way;  families make great efforts to live and pass on Catholic faith and practice; Catholic schools sustain and encourage the faith of our young people; the diocese  has a number of seminarians; and many Catholics live their faith with joy and conviction, contributing most positively to the life of their parishes and serving other people with great generosity.

In truth, there are also challenges we must face. These challenges generally arise from the secular spirit of the age we live in, which discourages people from believing in God, from attending Church, from giving full assent to the teaching of Christ and of his Church, and from living a life which conforms fully to the demands of the Catholic faith. This is the challenge of the new evangelization, and it is one that we must face realistically and resolutely, with faith in the risen Lord who told his disciples, “Do not be afraid…. I am with you always, yes, until the end of time.” I was very heartened by our consultation last year on the pastoral priorities, when the priests and people expressed their willingness that we should face these challenges together.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus finds opposition to his message even in his home town of Nazareth. Nonetheless he will continue to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom by his words and by his deeds. In the same way, his Church today, even in the face of many problems, needs to pursue her mission to make present in the world the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ.

Finally, I ask your prayers, at this time of the Ad Limina visit to Rome, for Pope Benedict XVI, for the Bishops of Scotland, and for me your bishop and brother in Christ. For my part, I will be praying for you and for the diocese at the tombs of the Apostles in Rome.

Yours devotedly in Christ,

X Philip Tartaglia

Bishop of Paisley