Bishop Lennon Explains that 4200 Bishop around the World are Vicars of Christ
His next lecture Wednesday, September 25 immediately following noon Mass at Cathedral
As part of his "Year of Faith" lecture series on the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II, Bishop Richard Lennon continued to review the historical documents particularly; the Pastoral on Bishops.
The role of the Bishop in the Catholic Church was to be defined during Vatican I in 1865 but that effort was never completed. As Peter and the Apostles worked together, it was established early in Church history that the Pope was to work together with the Bishops.
Click play to watch the video clip. As Bishop Lennon explained...Vatican II was very clear that the principal responsibility of the Bishop is to be a pastoral leader...
The Vatican II document also emphasized that Rome must be attentive to the Bishop of each local diocese and be aware of the situations that exist in each.
The document also said as the Pope is considered the Vicar of Christ, so are the Bishops as they lead the people.
The Synods of Bishops were created so the Pope can canvass each country and understand the issues which must be address.
Bishop Lennon was also asked about titles... explaining that Monsignor is an honorary title, an Archbishop governs over an archdiocese and cardinals are special advisors to the Pope.