Installation Homily of Msgr Jeffrey Steenson

8/3/2019 Installation Homily of Msgr Jeffrey Steenson

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Behold how good and joyful a thing it is, forbrethren to dwell together in unity!(Ps.133:1). With all our hearts, let us thank Pope

Benedict XVI for this beautiful gift, the PersonalOrdinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, and let uspray that it may further the goal of Catholicunity. When Cardinal Wuerl told me that theHoly Father would establish the Ordinariateunder this name, I truly rejoiced, for it goes to

the heart of what our mission should be. And ithelps us to understand why our Lord entrustedHis Church to St. Peter in the first place.

So much ink has been spilled over theinterpretation of these words of our Gospel,

which Jesus spoke to Peter in Caesarea Philippi You are Peter, and on this rock I will buildmy Church (Mt. 16:18). Of course, forCatholics, the authoritative interpretation wasprovided at the First Vatican Council. But wemust honestly acknowledge that Christians have

read this text in different ways. Even amongstthe church fathers there was not unanimity overwhat On this Rock means precisely. The greatAugustine himself said that the reader mustchoose Does this Rock signify Christ or


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Peter? (Retract. 1.20). But Augustine quiteproperly would not have thought this a matterof either/or. For Peter brings everything to

Christ. The trajectory is clear. We are Christsand Christ is Gods (I Cor. 3:23). I am gratefulthat, over the course of my ministry, theteachings of Pope John Paul II and PopeBenedict XVI have been so clear on this point the Church exists to bring souls to Christ. But,

as our text plainly affirms, Jesus has investedPeter with a ministry of fundamentalimportance. And he does so by employing threeverbs in the future tense I will build mychurch the gates of hell will not prevailagainst it I will give you the keys of the

kingdom of heaven. When Jesus speaks in thefuture tense, he draws all things to himself; weknow then that this commission does not endwith the historical Peter. The whole life of theChurch on earth until the end of time isanticipated in this moment.

In this context, listen to St. Anselm, the 37thArchbishop of Canterbury, perhaps the greatesttheologian ever to grace Englands green andpleasant land: This power was committed


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specially to Peter, that we might therefore beinvited to unity. Christ therefore appointed himthe head of the Apostles, that the Church might

have one principal Vicar of Christ, to whom thedifferent members of the Church should haverecourse, if ever they should have dissentionsamong them. But if there were many heads inthe Church, the bond of unity would be broken(Cat. Aur. Mt. 16:19).

The first time we find Matthew 16:18specifically applied to Peters successors, theBishops of Rome, came amidst a controversybetween Pope Stephen and Cyprian of Carthagein the middle of the third century. At the risk of

sounding pedantic, I hope that you will permitme to speak briefly to this, because it is veryrelevant to the Ordinariate. In the Anglicantradition, the church fathers are held in highesteem; here is where we were taught to findour bearings on theological questions.

The third century popes are heroes to me,because they were courageous pastors whosought to restore those brethren who hadbroken or fallen away to the full communion of


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the Catholic Church. At a time when manybishops were very severe and uncompromisingabout the purity of the Church, God gave us

popes who understood that welcoming back thewandering and the fallen is of the very essenceof the ministry that Jesus gave to the Apostles.In the letters of St. Cyprian there is aremarkable and revealing correspondence fromSt. Firmilian of Caesarea about Pope Stephen

(Ep. 75, ca. 255) Can you believe it, Cyprian?Stephen actually thinks that he sits on the chairof Peter as he orders us to accept the baptismof these separated groups! He actually wantsus to regard these people as Christians!

I think this is the important context in which tounderstand what Pope Benedict is saying to usinAnglicanorum coetibus. Some will arguethat the Catholic Church makes Christian unitya difficult thing to achieve. Look at what isbeing asked of those who are considering the

Ordinariate! Anglicans have not only to bereceived but even confirmed, and their clergyordained in the absolute form. Is this notasking them to begin all over again? Certainlynot! From Zephyrinus to Callistus to Cornelius


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to Stephen these third century popes, most ofwhom laid down their lives as martyrs, whogoverned the Church at a time when it seemed

as though the gates of hell really might prevail,threatening to destroy her essential unity theCatholic Church simply asked that the bonds ofcharity be restored sacramentally by invokingthe presence of the Holy Spirit. These arebrothers and sisters, returning home.

The first principle of the Ordinariate is thenabout Christian unity. St. Basil the Great, theChurchs greatest ecumenist, literally expendedhis life on the work of building bridges betweenorthodox brethren who shared a common faith,

but who had become separated from oneanother in a Church badly fragmented by heresyand controversy. He taught that the work ofChristian unity requires deliberate andceaseless effort. Like an old coat which isalways being torn and is difficult to mend, the

unity of the Church must never be taken forgranted but requires great diligence andcourage from her leaders (Bas.Ep.113). St.Basil often talked with yearning about thearchaia agape, the ancient love of the apostolic


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community, so rarely seen in the Church of hisday. This love, he taught, is a visible sign thatthe Holy Spirit is indeed present and active, and

it is absolutely essential for the health of theChurch. I cant think of a better illustration forthis homily than Berninis great sculpture of theChair of St. Peter in the apse of St. PetersBasilica: Peters chair is upheld by the greatfathers of the Church; and, hovering over it all,

the luminous alabaster dove, the Holy Spirit,bathing everything in the radiance of Godslove.

There is so much to be celebrated about thepatrimony of Anglicanism, its liturgical,

spiritual, and pastoral traditions, which theCatholic Church welcomes as a treasure to beshared. But let us be clear about our firstprinciples. So many people during the 477years that Anglicans have been separated fromRome have prayed fervently and made great

sacrifices for this day to come. In obedienceand trust they embraced whole-heartedly allthat Jesus prayer for the unity of his disciplesrequires (Jn. 17:21). It is surely no coincidencethat this reconciliation should come at the very


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time Pope Benedict has put the newevangelization at the top of the Churchsagenda. To be converted and conformed to the

image of Christ means that his Church will betransformed and renewed through andthrough. I so much appreciate how ourChancellor, Dr. Margaret Chalmers, puts it:Our patrimony is people. We thus open ourhearts, in humility and love, to all Christians

divided by culture and circumstance andmisunderstanding. We extend our hand infriendship to all who seek the Truth. These areour companions along the way. We begin witha strong faith that God has given us Peter, hishand firmly on the tiller, returning us to Jesus,

the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls (I Pet.2:25).

Documents

Installation Homily of Msgr Jeffrey Steenson