PART VIII
LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH
OFFICIAL ACTS
PERTAINING TO THE GOVERNMENT OF A DIOCESE
CHAPTER 2
PASTORAL VISITATION
1117 The bishop in fulfilling the obligation
to visit the parishes or local communities of his diocese should not appear to be
satisfying a purely administrative duty. Rather the faithful should see in him
the herald of the Gospel, the teacher, shepherd, and high priest of his flock.
1178 To ensure this happening, the visitation
of the bishop should take place, if at all possible, on days that permit large
numbers of the faithful to gather. Sufficient time should also be devoted to an
apt, preparatory catechesis of the people by their presbyters. The visitation
itself should be sufficiently long to enable the bishop to preside at
celebration of the liturgy and to evaluate, promote, encourage, and put into
effect the apostolate of the clergy and laity and the works of charity.
1179 The bishop, in the vestments indicated in
no. 63, should be received in a manner suited to the circumstances of the place
and the situation. If this seems appropriate, the bishop may be solemnly
received and greeted by the clergy at the door of the church. But the bishop
may even be escorted to the church with festive song, when this is feasible and
appropriate. A dignified solemnity in receiving the bishop is a sign of love
and devotion of the faithful toward their good shepherd.
1180 At the entrance of the church the parish
priest (pastor), vested in cope, meets the bishop, offers him the crucifix to
be kissed, and presents the sprinkler, with which the bishop sprinkles himself
and those present. After a brief, silent prayer before the blessed sacrament,
the bishop goes to the sanctuary (chancel); there the parish priest (pastor),
standing before the altar, invites the faithful to join in prayer for the
bishop and, after a brief pause for silent prayer, says the pray God, eternal shepherd or God,
our Father, our shepherd and guide, provided in The Roman Missal (Sacramentary).[1]
The bishop then greets the people and announces his
agenda for the visitation. He then says the collect for the titular of the
church or the patron of the place, and, in the usual way, blessed the people.
Then the parish priest (pastor) dismisses them.
1181 But when Mass is to follow the reception
of the bishop, immediately after the prayer for the bishop has been said, the
bishop, at the chair, puts on the vestments for the Mass. The presbyters
charged with the pastoral care of the parish or presbyters living within the
parish confines celebrate the Mass with the bishop, and the faithful take an
active part. Such participation is particularly to be sought in the more remote
parts of the diocese where the people rarely or never have the opportunity to
take part in a stational Mass celebrated by the bishop in their own area.
1182 It is recommended that during the
pastoral visitation the bishop confer not only the sacrament of confirmation
but other sacraments as well, particularly in his visits to the sick. In this
way he will more clearly appear to the faithful as the chief steward of the
mysteries of God and as the overseer and guardian of the entire liturgical life
in the Church entrusted to his care.
1183 When there is a lengthy visitation, there
should be a celebration of the liturgy of the hours in the church or a
celebration of the word of God, with the homily of the bishop and with
intercessions for the Universal Church and for the local Church.
1184 As circumstances suggest, the bishop
should also go to the cemetery with the people and there offer prayers for the
dead and sprinkle the graves with holy water, in the manner described already
in nos. 399-402.
[1]
See RM, Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions, I. For the Church,
3 For the Bishop, A.
