PAGE 16 THURSDAY, MAY 26.1994 COLUMNS. CATHOLIC COUBEB DtOCESC OF ROCHESTER N.Y. UNITARY Papal firsts tell much about church side of ) was Eusebius (310). see to anodier. Once a man became a By Father Richard P. McBrien The first to bestow die diocesan , he was to be "mar­ Syndicated columnist (a symbol of office) on a bishop outside ried" to diat diocese for life. It was I recently spent some time writing of Italy was Symmachus |498-514). To­ not to be a stepping-stone to bigger an encyclopedia article on die day we take it for granted diat die pope and more prestigious sees. and, as often happens in a research personally bestows die pallium on all The first (but not only) layman to project, a lot of material finds its way newly appointed archbishops. be elected,pope was Benedict VIII onto die cutting-room floor, never to After more tiian 500 years, die first (1012-24). see die light of publication. pope to take a different name from The first pope to restrict papal elec­ One is tempted to recycle die dis­ his baptismal name was John II (533- tions to cardinals was Nicholas II carded data for use in some odier fo­ 55). He did so because his name was (1058-61), which means diat for more rum, on die rationalization diat noth- diat of the pagan god Mercury. than die first half of die church's his­ ing should go to waste. I could easily The first pope to be "excommuni­ tory popes were chosen by mediods do something here on "papal firsts," cated" (by a of African ) odier ulan die one in use today.Thos e for example, stringing together a se­ SSAYS was Vigilius (537-55). Needless to say, who argue in favor of broadening die ries of interesting, but essentially in­ it didn't stick, but it reminds us diat to­ electoral base to include more than significant, facts that would add up to IN day's controversies widiin die church cardinals have history on their side. ' a full column. No reader would be of­ are child's play in comparison with The first pope to establish die Ro­ fended — nor enriched. diose of earlier centuries. man Curia was Urban II (1088-89) - Thus, die first pope not to be listed The first pope to be assassinated reminding us that the Catholic as a saint was Liberius (352-66). And so on. was John VITI (872-82). He was poi­ Church also got along for more than The first pope to abdicate was Pon- More instructive, however, are die soned by his staff members and then half its history without benefit of a tian (230-35), after being arrested and firsts diat help us to distinguish the clubbed to death. Catholics who are powerful and sometimes intrusive Vat­ exiled by an anti-Christian emperor. unchanging and the essential from quick to use the term "pope-bashing" ican bureaucracy. Many diink that Celestine V (1294) the changeable and the accidental. to characterize good-faith criticism of The first pope to wear white was was die first and only pope to resign Most of what pertains to die papacy papal or Vatican policies don't know Innocent V (1276), who was also the his office. falls under die latter category. how far from die mark they are. first Dominican pope. That explains The first pope to have been a monk The first pope to be called "Vicar of On die odier hand, die first — and, why he wore white, the color of die was Gregory die Great (590-604). Christ" was Gelasius I (492-96). That tiiank God, only — pope to have been Dominican habit. Subsequent popes The first pope to canonize a saint means diat for more than four cen­ implicated in die murder of his prede­ simply adopted die white cassock as was John XV (985-96). turies die tide "Vicar of Christ" was cessor was Sergius III (904-11). He had dieir customary papal dress. The first French pope was Silvester not accorded die pope at all (die more Leo V strangled while in prison. Of course, it could have been oth­ II (999-1003). traditional tide was "Vicar of Peter"), The first pope to have been a bish­ erwise, but so could many other as­ The first Franciscan pope was and it was not until die pontificate of op of anodier diocese when elected pects of die papacy be otherwise dian Nicholas IV (1288-92). Eugene in (1145-53) that it became to die papacy was Marinus I (882-84). they are today, including even die The first pope to be seen on tele­ identified exclusively widi die pope. This was in violation of die ancient power to appoint all bishops. vision was Pius XII (1939-58). The first (of many) popes to func­ canons, (especially die Council of "History," die late Pope John XXIII The first pope to travel by air (as tion as pope outside of (and in Nicea's canon 15) diat prohibited bish­ once said, "is die great teacher of life." pope) was Paul VI (1963-78). die case of die Avignon popes, out­ ops from being transferred from one It also teaches us a lot about die church. Thought of a

t suirB|iarized as ^"Experiencing die to lay involvement in church. "The By Gregory F. Augustine Pierce Limldess Power and Responsibility of Church Would Look Pretty Ridicu­ Syndicated columnist God.TjLess grandiose might he "Be­ lous widiout Us," as St Thomas More I need your help on an assignment come *a Parent — Lose Your,Owl||afe is reputed to have said. The old say­ my spiritual director has given me. in Order-to Gain It" (. ^ |\ ing diat the laity should "Pray, Pay, He wants me to summarize die spiri­ Single adults have their own spiri­ and Obey" might become "Pray, Stay, tuality of adult lay people on a series tuality: "We May Be Single, but We're and Give die OK" or, better yet "Well of bumper stickers. Never Alone" or " Chose to Be Pay if the Priests Stay and We All His point (I think) is diat tiiere is a "The Single Life: A Special Way of Obey (Each Other)." A more serious unique spiritual dimension to be Living for Odiers"? one might be "The Church Is My found in die ordinary activities of die What bumper, sticker might de­ Campaign Headquarters" or "Church: laity's daily life, but diat most of us scribe die spirituality to be found in A Community of Interdependence." are not aware of (or at least are not our daily work? "Human Work: God's We could possibly sum up die spir­ able to name) it. Preferred Metiiod for Finishing Cre­ ituality of the laity with "Finding the Traditional spirituality, on die odier AITH ation" or "Productivity, Creativity, Ac­ Extraordinary in the Ordinary" or "A hand, has developed a lot more lan­ countability" or even "The Sweat of Spirituality for die End-Users of the guage to describe itself. "A Spirituality AND Your Brow Can Taste So Sweet" are Christian Faith." of Silence, Solitude, and Surrender," possible contenders. I am serious about needing your for example, pretty much sums up die WORK For die laity's community and civic help on this project. If you've got a contemplative way of finding God. involvement, we might say: "The King­ bumper sticker that you diink sums "Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience," ac­ or "Marriage: The Spirituality of Nev­ dom of God Is a Participatory Democ­ up a spirituality for lay people, send it curately describes die spiritual disci­ er Deciding Anydiing without Check­ racy" or simply "Christians Make Lov­ to me c/o ACTA Publications, 4848 plines of most vowed religious. ing First"? "Marriage Means Never ing Neighbors." What do you diink N. Clark Street, Chicago, 111. 60640. What phrase, tiiough, captures die Having to Say Goodbye" has a nice of this one: "God and Politics Don't (Include your name and address so I spirituality of married couples? How transcendental ring to it. Mix... They Merge." can give you the credit — or blame.) about "Fidelity, Sexuality, Mutuality" For parents, spirituality might be There is also a spirituality attached

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