Bishops Must Heed Voices Olaii Peopie
The Denver Catholic Register DENVER, COLO., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1978 VOL. LIU NO. 44 Colorado's Largest Weekly 20 PAGES 25 CENTS PER COPY In Seeking the Echo of the Word of God Bishops Must Heed Voices olAii Peopie By Ethel Gintoft MILWAUKEE ( NC) — Bishops must heed the multiplicity of voices which all have a clear claim to their care, and try to determine whether they echo the word of God, Archbishop John R. Roach of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minn., said at the Catholic Theological Society of America’s annual convention in Milwaukee. In a major address to the convention, the archbishop described the various voices that a bishop must listen to — some of them strident, some angry and bitter, some learned, some flowing out of deep pain. First is the voice of God through Scripture and tradition, “ a continual source for prayer and preaching and decision-making for a bishop,” said Archbishop Roach, vice president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. “ The Holy Spirit, who inspired the sacred writers, is continually at work in the faithful transmission of the word of God.” A big and constant danger, he said, is that the bishop will not be quiet enough to hear the small voices, the muted ones, through which God has spoken often through the centuries. These people need to be heard and sometimes even prompted to speak — the poor, oppressed, unborn, aged, parents, those in pain, and even those of little faith. Another important voice is that of theologians and philosophers. “ A bishop would be a fool not to turn to his body of theologians regularly,” he said, “ since he rarely has time to pursue in depth their varied voices.” .
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