Episode
WOF 522: What's It Like to Be a Catholic Bishop?
- Published
- Dec 29, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2535
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Summary
St. Pope John Paul the II memorably observed that the Catholic Church comes from the eucharist and that the eucharist, in turn, comes from priests. As Bishop Barron noted in a recent letter to his diocese, "by an inescapable logic [therefore] no priests, no Church." We should add, however, that priests come from bishops, which expands the ecclesial logic to this: no bishops, no priests; no priests, no eucharist; no eucharist, no church. In other words, bishops not only hold an important administrative position within the Church; tracing their authority back to the apostles and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ himself, they constitute the very sacramental and liturgical foundation of Catholicism itself. That, to say the least, is a weighty responsibility. So what is it like to be a bishop? How does one come to hold this office? What, specifically, do bishops have authority over–and what don't they have authority over? What kind of relationship do they have with each other and with the Holy Father, the pope? What are their day-to-day obligations and activities? And what are some challenges they face that both clergy and laity may not be aware of? A listener asks what made Bishop Barron want to be a priest. Topics Covered: 01:38 | Bishop Barron's Thanksgiving in Chicago 02:45 | The origins of the office of bishop 04:51 | The theological dimension of the bishop's role 06:41 | The liturgical symbols of the office 10:45 | Bishop Barron's coat of arms 12:12 | How does one become a bishop? 16:10 | How are dioceses formed? 17:20 | Relating bishop to archbishop 18:51 | Understanding the bishop's authority 20:03 | What is a chancery? 21:03 | Essential tasks of the bishop 29:38 | Bishop Barron's approach to his official duties 33:01 | The meaning and authority of a conference of bisho…