VATICAN, October 16, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope John Paul II, celebrating his 25th anniversary as Pope today, has released an exhortation to the world's Catholic bishops. The bulk of the document calls the bishops to personal holiness. It states "the effectiveness of a bishop's ministry-- in social leadership or any other aspect of his work-- depends on his personal spiritual strength".

The Pope also strongly encourages bishops to defend life and family. ''Perhaps what most upsets us as pastors is the contempt for human life, from conception to death, as well as the breakdown of the family," says the Pope. "Within his own Diocese each Bishop, with the help of qualified persons, is called to work for an integral proclamation of the 'Gospel of life'."

The duty of bishops to protect life and family is raised numerous times in the document. Under the sub-heading "The Bishop, promoter of justice and peace," the Pope writes, "the Bishop is the defender of human rights, the rights of human beings made in the image and likeness of God. He proclaims the Church's moral teaching by defending life from conception to its natural end." Later in the document says, "The Church's 'No' to abortion and euthanasia is a 'Yes' to life, a 'Yes' to the fundamental goodness of creation, a 'Yes' which can move every person in the depths of his conscience, a 'Yes' to the family, the most basic community of hope, which so pleases God that he calls it to become a domestic Church."

In a strong reminder to bishops in these times where laws around the globe are threatening the family, the Pope states, "It is the Bishop's particular task to ensure that within civil society the values of marriage are supported and defended by means of correct political and economic decisions." The statement is an obvious reference to the recent Vatican document promulgated by the Pope on legislation around homosexual civil unions which said explicitly, "the Catholic law-maker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it. To vote in favour of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral."

The lengthy exhortation, believed by some to be John Paul's last major exhortation to his bishops, stresses the absolute necessity of the bishops' responsibility for "transmitting and teaching the faith", ensuring also that collaborators in this effort, including Catholic teachers and seminary professors, are faithful to the teachings of the Church.

Without specifically mentioning the suffering the Church has undergone at the hands of dissident theologians who warp Church teaching on life and family, the Pope called on Bishops to watch over theologians. "Whenever appropriate, Bishops must firmly defend the unity and integrity of the faith, judging with authority what is or is not in conformity with the word of God," wrote the Pope.

With the last few decades prominence of Bishops Conferences, numerous Catholics have been dismayed that their local Bishops have been abdicating their personal responsibilities in areas of life and family, leaving those issues to be handled by their Bishops Conference. However, the Pope warns that ''Episcopal Conferences with their commissions and offices exist to be of help to the Bishops and not to substitute for them''.

The Pope also addresses the bishop's responsibility to discipline Catholics under his care. With a few notable exceptions, such as Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, who in 1996 excommunicated Catholics in his diocese who were members of a pro-abortion group, Catholic bishops have neglected to publicly discipline Catholics who cause scandal such as pro-abortion Catholic politicians or numerous dissident members in positions of authority and trust in Catholic institutions.

The exhortation by the Pope acknowledges that "the exercise of authority in the Church has often proved taxing." However, it says that nonetheless the "Bishop is not only called to bear witness to the faith, but also to evaluate and discipline its outward expression by the believers entrusted to his pastoral care."
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/oct/03101601.html
See the full exhortation online at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_ exh_20031016_pastores-gregis_en.html