What is Apostolic Succession?

In order to answer that question let us listen to the words of the Roman Pontiff.

VATICAN CITY, MAY 10, 2006 (Zenit) - Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address in which he explains apostolic succession:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the last audiences we have meditated on the Tradition of the Church and we have seen that it is the permanent presence of the word and life of Jesus in his people. But to be present, the Church is in need of a person, a witness. In this way, reciprocity is born: On one hand, the word is in need of the person, but on the other hand the person, the witness, is linked to the word that has been entrusted to him, which he has not invented. This reciprocity between contents -- Word of God, life of the Lord -- and the person that transmits is a characteristic of the structure of the Church, and today we wish to meditate on this personal aspect of the Church.

The Lord began it, as we saw, when convoking the Twelve, who represented the future of the People of God. In fidelity to the mandate received from the Lord, initially the Twelve, after his Ascension, completed their number with the election of Matthias to replace Judas (cf. Acts 1:15-26), and later they associate others progressively to the functions entrusted to them to continue their ministry.

The Risen One himself called Paul (cf. Galatians 1:1), but Paul, despite the fact he was called by the Lord as an apostle, compares his Gospel to the Gospel of the Twelve (cf. ibid. 1:18), is concerned to transmit what he has received (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:23; 15:3-4) and in the distribution of the missionary tasks is associated with the apostles, together with others, for example, Barnabas (cf. Galatians 2:9).

Just as at the beginning of the condition of [being an] apostle there is a call and a sending by the Risen One, likewise the subsequent call and invitation to others takes place, with the strength of the Spirit, by the power of one already constituted in the apostolic ministry. This is the path on which this ministry will continue that, later, begun by the second generation, would be called episcopal ministry, "episcopé."

Perhaps it would be useful to explain briefly what the word bishop means. It is the Italian form ["vescovo"] of the Greek words "epíscopos." This word makes reference to one who has a vision from on high, who sees with the heart. Thus, in his first letter, St. Peter himself calls the Lord Jesus guardian and shepherd of souls; the successors of the apostles were later called "bishops," "epíscopoi." They were entrusted with the function of the "episcopé." This specific function of the bishop is carried out progressively with respect to the beginnings until it assumes the form, already clearly attested by Ignatius of Antioch, at the beginning of the second century (cf. "Ad Magnesios," 6,1: PG 5,668), of the triple function of bishop, priest and deacon. It is a development led by the Spirit of God, which assists the Church in the discernment of the authentic forms of the apostolic succession, defined ever better between a plurality of experiences and charismatic and ministerial forms, present in the community of the origins.

Thus, succession in the episcopal function is presented as continuity of the apostolic ministry, guarantee of the perseverance in the apostolic Tradition, word and life that have been entrusted to us by the Lord. The link between the College of Bishops and the original community of the apostles is understood, above all, in the line of historical continuity. As we have seen, to the Twelve is associated first Matthias, and then Paul, and afterward Barnabas and later others, up to the formation, in the second and third generation, of the ministry of the bishop. Therefore, continuity is expressed in this historical chain.

And in the continuity of the succession the guarantee is found of perseverance in the ecclesial community, in the apostolic College, gathered by Christ around him. But this continuity, which we saw before in the historical continuity of the ministers, must also be understood in the spiritual sense, as the apostolic succession in the ministry is considered as the privileged place of the action and transmission of the Holy Spirit.

A clear echo of these convictions can be seen, for example, in this text of Irenaeus of Lyon (second half of the second century): "the Tradition of the Apostles has been manifested to the universal world in the whole Church, and we can enumerate those who have been constituted bishops and successors of the Apostles up to us […] [The apostles] wanted those whom they left as their successors to be 'perfect and irreproachable' in everything (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6-7), to entrust the Magisterium to them in their place: If they act correctly it will be followed by great usefulness, but if they fall, it would be the greatest calamity" ("Adversus Haereses," III, 3, 1: PG 7,848).

Then, Irenaeus, when presenting this network of the apostolic succession as the greatest guarantee of perseverance in the Lord's word, concentrates on that Church, among "the most ancient and known by all, the Church founded and constituted in Rome by the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul," underlining the Tradition of the faith proclaimed, which comes to us through the apostles and through the successions of the bishops.

In this way, for Irenaeus and for the universal Church, the episcopal succession of the Church of Rome becomes the sign, criterion and guarantee of the uninterrupted transmission of the apostolic faith: "It is necessary that every Church be in harmony with this Church, whose foundation is the most guaranteed -- I refer to all the faithful of any place, because in her all those who are found in all places have kept the apostolic Tradition" ("Adversus Haereses," III, 3, 2: PG 7,848).

The apostolic succession, verified in virtue of communion with that of the Church of Rome, is therefore the criterion of permanence of each one of the Churches in the Tradition of the common apostolic faith, which through this channel has been able to come to us from the origins: "By this order and succession the Tradition has come to us that was initiated by the Apostles. And this shows fully that the one and only vivifying faith that comes from the Apostles has been kept and transmitted in the Church until today" (ibid., III, 3,3: PG 7,851).

According to these testimonies of the ancient Church, the apostolicity of the ecclesial communion consists in faithfulness to the teaching and practice of the apostles, through whom is guaranteed the historical and spiritual union of the Church with Christ. The apostolic succession of the episcopal ministry is the path that guarantees the faithful transmission of the apostolic testimony.

What the apostles represent in the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the Church of the origins, is represented analogously by the ministerial succession in the relationship between the Church of the origins and the present-day Church. It is not a mere material concatenation; rather, it is the historical instrument of which the Spirit makes use to make present the Lord Jesus, head of his people, through whom they are ordained by the ministry through the imposition of hands and the prayer of the bishops.

Then, through the apostolic succession, Christ comes to us: He speaks to us in the word of the apostles and their successors; he acts in the sacraments through their hands; our gaze is enveloped in his gaze and makes us feel loved, received in God's heart. And also today, as at the beginning, Christ himself is the true shepherd and guardian of our souls, whom we follow with great confidence, gratitude and joy.

Preparing for the Epiphany of the Lord

January 6 is the date chosen by the Church to celebrate the Epiphany. In preparation we submit the following quotation from the ancient Gospel of Thomas (#49-51):

Jesus said: Fortunate are those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again.

Jesus said: If they say to you, "Where have you come from?" Say to them, "We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established itself, and appeared in their image." If they say to you, "Is it you?" Say, "We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living father." If they ask you, "What is the evidence of your father in you?" Say to them, "It is motion and rest."

His followers asked him, "When will the rest for the dead take place and when will the new world come?"

Jesus said to them, "What you look for has come, but you do not know it."

We ask you to ponder the mystery of the Epiphany and to search for the meaning of the visit of the Magi that we celebrate with the upcoming solemnity. The word epiphany means manifestation and has been called by other names through history such as "the Theophany" and "the Feast of Light."

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - January 1, 2011

Brothers and Sisters,

May God's own peace be with you all on this most blessed day. We celebrate today the Solemnity of Mary. In preparing my talk for the Solemnity I have drawn from a homily given in 1996 by Pope John Paul II. In truth I would like to simply read the Holy Father’s homily from the pulpit. It is as inspiring to me today as it was in 1996. Since I can’t give the Holy Father’s homily as my own, I have decided to post the text of his homily on the Fellowship of St. Martin de Porres blog site.

Below is the text of the Pope’s homily. He preaches, in no uncertain terms, the truth of what our theology is meant to teach. I pray that the truth of this homily penetrates the hearts and minds of all who read it. This truth can set you free if you can see past the images that often cloud our understanding of the nature of God, the mystery of the Incarnation, and the role of the Theotokos.

To all those who have ears to hear, be assured of my prayers on this solemn celebration of God's love for his children.

With hope for the future, I am,

+Bro. Tomas Martin , OPD

(Click here for the scripture readings for the Solemnity. found on the People are Tradition blog site)

Pope John Paul II:
1. "He was called Jesus" Lk 2:21.
The Gospel which has just been proclaimed recalls that, after the eight days prescribed, the Son of Mary, born in Bethlehem, was given the name Jesus, the name the angel had called him before he was conceived in his Mother's womb (cf. Lk 2:21). Thus it was the name given him by the heavenly Father.

Jesus means: 'God saves. With this name we begin the New Year. The fact that the years of our era are numbered from Christ's birth is very eloquent. It shows that Jesus is the centre of history. The Son of God assumed human nature in Christ. And it is precisely the mystery of the Incarnation which fully explains the meaning of the name Jesus: 'Your God ... will come and save you' (Is 35:4). Human time is totally pervaded by God's saving mystery. The history of humanity has become the history of salvation.

The first day of the New Year, together with the remembrance of Jesus' name, thus reveals this deep meaning. It is the Octave of the Birth of the Lord, in which the Church venerates in particular the divine maternity of the Mother of God. The first day of the New Year is , the feast of the Mother of the God-Man, the Theotokos.

2. The passage from the Letter of St Paul to the Galatians read in today's liturgy is, in a certain sense a commentary on the name Jesus. The Apostle reveals in a concise way all that is contained in the meaning of this name, showing how God saves. Thus we read: 'God sent forth his Son, born of woman ... so that we might receive adoption as sons' (Gal 4:4-5). Salvation therefore is fulfilled in our adoption as children: in Christ, the only Son of God, men became God's adoptive children.

Jesus' name shows he is our Saviour.

We therefore understand how the name 'Jesus' contains a special dynamism. God not only orders that his Son be called by the name Jesus, but at the same time he shows, in this name, the depth and the vastness of the mystery of salvation. The name Jesus reveals the mystery of adoption as children of God. St Paul adds almost prophetically: 'And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, saying, 'Abba! Father!" (Gal 4:6). Jesus taught us to address God with the words: 'Our Father!'. But these human words draw from the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the Son, their own power. When we pray, "Abba, our Father' our human words are first of all a way of sharing in the life of the eternal Word, the Son consubstantial with the Father. Through this 'participation', the invocation "Abba! our Father!' becomes an expression of salvation.

Christ is the Saviour of the world, because through him and in him all men can pronounce this word, the word which belongs fully to him alone, the eternal Son. In him, the divine sonship has become our inheritance. By God's will, as adoptive sons we are coheirs of the eternal Son, called to participate in the life of God, in eternal happiness in him.

3. The name Jesus, "God saves, testifies that he is our Saviour. The readings of today's liturgy once again present us with the universal dimension of salvation, to which all men and all peoples are called, through the mystery of the Incarnation. The responsorial psalm clearly highlights this: 'Let the nations be glad and sing for joy for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth' (Ps 66 [67]:4). What the first reading attributes to the children of Israel, the psalm extends to the peoples and nations of the earth. Salvation is meant for all humanity. It is not the secret privilege of one individual or people but is shared by all people.

It is a participation which comes through the holy fear of God, the beginning of wisdom (cf. Ps 110[111]:10). The coming of the world's Redeemer, for those who welcome him with reverential and grateful fear, marks the be- ginning of a new order, the divine order. God's saving will is expressed by the birth of the Son of God in human nature. The divine providence which guides the world's destiny was made manifest; the definitive justice of history was announced, a justice combined with mercy. For this reason the psalmist proclaimed: 'May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all the nations' (Ps 66 [67]:1-2). In this way the Christmas mystery and the very name of 'Jesus' represent for humanity the sign of the divine order, in which the history of creation and of every people and nation is contained.

Therefore, the Church rightly celebrates World Day of Peace on this first day of the New Year. This year its theme is demanding: 'Let us give children a future of peace'. 'The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace' (Nm 6:26), today's first reading proclaims. Peace, a fundamental sign of the divine presence, must also shine forth in the political order and in the life of communities and nations. Paul VI's well known words: 'the new name for peace is development' (Populorum progressio n. 87), could be inverted and formulated like this: peace is the new name for development and the social order.

Peace in biblical language indicates participation in the salvation which comes from God. Peace is already contained in the name that was given to the Son of God eight days after his birth. This name means salvation from every evil, especially from hatred, war and destruction. For this reason the Apostle Paul was to say of Christ: "For he is our peace" (Eph 2:14).

God has spoken to us in his Son

4. 'In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son' (Gospel Acclamation: cf. Heb 1:1-2). In these words we find the passage from the Old to the New Covenant. God has spoken through his Son, through his life and his Gospel. He has spoken to us through his Death and Resurrection, and in a particular way, through his name: Jesus, 'God saves'. Everything contained in it: his life, his Passion, Death and Resurrection, the Cross and glory. All the Good News.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews mentions that this name was reserved to 'these last days'. At the beginning of the New Year we are aware that in the name of Jesus, the last days, the time for the fulfilment of all things in God, has come decisively close to humanity. And in virtue of this name we move towards man's final goal, 'the fullness of time' (cf Gal 4:4), to which Christ leads us through the Holy Spirit.

Guided by this force we already repeat: "Abba! Father!", here on earth, to prepare ourselves for the event which, precisely in Jesus' name, is manifested at the end of time for every man and for the entire human family.

The Artwork presented with this post is "River of Life - Jesus Christ" by Russ Docken. Click the image to purchase a print of this work.

Our Patron's Feast Day - November 3

November 3 is the feast day of our patron Saint Martin de Porres. The text that follows is an excerpt from AmericanCatholic.org (the complete link can be reached here):

[Saint Martin de Porres] was the illegitimate son of a freed woman of Panama, probably African but also possibly Native American, and a Spanish grandee of Lima, Peru. Martin inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother. That irked his father, who finally acknowledged his son after eight years. After the birth of a sister, the father abandoned the family. Martin was reared in poverty, locked into a low level of Lima’s society.

When he was 12, his mother apprenticed him to a barber-surgeon. He learned how to cut hair and also how to draw blood (a standard medical treatment then), care for wounds and prepare and administer medicines.

After a few years in this medical apostolate, Martin applied to the Dominicans to be a "lay helper," not feeling himself worthy to be a religious brother. After nine years, the example of his prayer and penance, charity and humility led the community to request him to make full religious profession. Many of his nights were spent in prayer and penitential practices; his days were filled with nursing the sick and caring for the poor. It was particularly impressive that he treated all people regardless of their color, race or status. He was instrumental in founding an orphanage, took care of slaves brought from Africa and managed the daily alms of the priory with practicality as well as generosity. He became the procurator for both priory and city, whether it was a matter of "blankets, shirts, candles, candy, miracles or prayers!" When his priory was in debt, he said, "I am only a poor mulatto. Sell me. I am the property of the order. Sell me."

Side by side with his daily work in the kitchen, laundry and infirmary, Martin’s life reflected God’s extraordinary gifts: ecstasies that lifted him into the air, light filling the room where he prayed, bilocation, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures and a remarkable rapport with animals. His charity extended to beasts of the field and even to the vermin of the kitchen. He would excuse the raids of mice and rats on the grounds that they were underfed; he kept stray cats and dogs at his sister’s house.

He became a formidable fundraiser, obtaining thousands of dollars for dowries for poor girls so that they could marry or enter a convent.

Many of his fellow religious took him as their spiritual director, but he continued to call himself a "poor slave." He was a good friend of another Dominican saint of Peru, Rose of Lima (August 23).

We in the OPD Community honor and remember our beloved brother Martin. His love and life inspired us to form our humble community. We pray that his spirit will continue to guide our hands and hearts in Christ.

Saint Martin, we love you...we will never forget you.

New Ministers Join the OPD Community

Are you an independent ordained minister looking for a faith community?

Anyone who has ministered in the independent movement can surely identify with the desire to fellowship with other ministers in a community that will not infringe upon the beliefs and practices that the Spirit has inspired in the individual. The OPD is such a community. Our bishop and members of the faithful have formed a welcoming and encouraging community of believers. There are many wonderful benefits of becoming a part of a community of ministers and believers.

After receiving recent requests from dynamic independent ordained ministers, the OPD Community has begun accepting applications for affliate ministers. If you are interested in learning more about joining the OPD as an ordained minister e-mail dominicanvocations@hotmail.com and type "minister application" in the subject line. We will send you our minister information form.

The OPD is an ecumenical community open to a variety of spiritual practices. We are an inclusive, welcoming community. You need not live near an existing OPD chapter. The OPD can establish branch chapters to suit the needs of incoming ministers.

If you are interested in ministry training and ordination preparation courses, contact us through the e-mail listed above and we will work to answer your questions concerning formation as an OPD minister.

We look forward to hearing from you. Peace!

After years of preparation the Translation of the Gospel of John comes to light

The eagle is the symbol associated with John the Evangelist. The image of the great rider of the wind stirs us to awe. The mighty eagle soaring in the heavens looks down on us from above, guiding and protecting. For our Community the symbol of the eagle is a source of inspiration. Likewise, the Gospel of John is certainly a sacred document that has had great impact on the OPD Community. It was this Gospel that guided the first members and friends of the Community during the first three years of our formation. The words of this Gospel walked with us on those first important steps as Children of the Light.

Bishop Tomas-Martin has devoted much of his sacred study to this all-important Gospel. After several years of work, the prologue and first chapter of the translation of the Gospel according to John from Aramaic, Greek and Latin sources is available with an abbreviated commentary. The blog entitled Preaching the Gospel of John will be updated with more chapters as the Bishop's commentary is ready.

Please take the time to explore this translation and check in often to see more chapters as they are ready to be posted.

Traditional Ordination in the Catholic Latin Rite

Br. Tomas-Martin Bell, OPD became a catholic cleric at the hands of Bishop Robert Fidelis, O.P. His Excellency is a Traditionalist Dominican Bishop. Br. Tomas expressed to the community his thoughts about the grace he was given in becoming a catholic cleric and receiving minors orders at the hands of Bishop Fidelis: "I was both humbled and honored to have the opportunity to meet the Bishop. Then, when my own Bishop informed me that Bishop Fidelis would be the prelate who would make me a cleric and impose minor orders on me, I was grateful to God. Having Bishop Fidelis ordain me to Minor Orders was a great grace. I also had the opportunity to be present when Bishop offered Mass in the traditional Dominican Rite. I thank God for the privilege of being able to see Bishop offer Mass. The night before, Bishop knocked on my door to tell me that he would be offering the Mass for my intentions. I was at once, humbled to be given such blessing from God. Bishop Fidelis was so kind. He has a gentleness about him that exudes the love of Christ. For the gift of his ministry to me and to the Church, I will always be grateful to God. I pray for his continued health and longevity in ministry."