Bishop as photo opportunity

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I was in a Catechumen Election ceremony today. Quite beautiful rite, a bishop accepted several hundred catechumens and candidates for other initiation sacraments as preparation for the final step of their journey, finishing at Holy Saturday. There were over a hundred participants from about 70 parishes all over the archdiocese.

When the rite was over the bishop stood at the door of the cathedral allowing to photo himself with the participants for about 30 minutes. The relatives made the photos, so no money making business.

This was after the ceremony so liturgically nothing wrong with it, but I never had seen such thing. Is it in other dioceses too, and so it considered natural?
 
laszlo said:
I was in a Catechumen Election ceremony today. Quite beautiful rite, a bishop accepted several hundred catechumens and candidates for other initiation sacraments as preparation for the final step of their journey, finishing at Holy Saturday. There were over a hundred participants from about 70 parishes all over the archdiocese.

When the rite was over the bishop stood at the door of the cathedral allowing to photo himself with the participants for about 30 minutes. The relatives made the photos, so no money making business.

This was after the ceremony so liturgically nothing wrong with it, but I never had seen such thing. Is it in other dioceses too, and so it considered natural?
Click to expand...
Our bishops have always been available for photo ops after ceremonies like that. It’s a good thing, wouldn’t you agree?
 
I’m currently a Candidate for Catholicism, and yes other regions do it as well. I live in Jacksonville and afterwards a line was formed for those who wished to meet and take photos with the Bishop.

I’d say it was less of a “celebrity” photo opportunity and more of a chance to remember a wonderful day were hundreds of Candidates and Catechumens are reaching the end of their journey home. 👍

We’re joining a new family, why not grab a photo to remember with one of our well known, prestigious brothers? 😉
 
Yes, in my diocese the Bishop does that after Confirmation Mass with the newly confirmed in a group picture and individual ones as well if they ask. I think it’s good for the kids or people coming into the Church or cradle Catholics, etc, to have one-to-one interaction, including pictures, with the Bishop. Our Bishops are our spiritual leaders, why not build friendship with them?
 
laszlo said:
I was in a Catechumen Election ceremony today. Quite beautiful rite, a bishop accepted several hundred catechumens and candidates for other initiation sacraments as preparation for the final step of their journey, finishing at Holy Saturday. There were over a hundred participants from about 70 parishes all over the archdiocese.

When the rite was over the bishop stood at the door of the cathedral allowing to photo himself with the participants for about 30 minutes. The relatives made the photos, so no money making business.

This was after the ceremony so liturgically nothing wrong with it, but I never had seen such thing. Is it in other dioceses too, and so it considered natural?
Click to expand...
I assisted at the Rite of Election last week, and last year. I love doing it. It brings much hope to me seeing the throngs of people signing the “book of the elect”, taking another step in their journey to the fullness of Christianity.

I think it is less about a “photo op with bishop”, and more about remembering their journey into the church, which your bishop was part of. It’s only natural to want to get a picture after something like this. I got an individual picture with my bishop after my confirmation, as did a few other people.
 
laszlo said:
I was in a Catechumen Election ceremony today. Quite beautiful rite, a bishop accepted several hundred catechumens and candidates for other initiation sacraments as preparation for the final step of their journey, finishing at Holy Saturday. There were over a hundred participants from about 70 parishes all over the archdiocese.

When the rite was over the bishop stood at the door of the cathedral allowing to photo himself with the participants for about 30 minutes. The relatives made the photos, so no money making business.

This was after the ceremony so liturgically nothing wrong with it, but I never had seen such thing. Is it in other dioceses too, and so it considered natural?
Click to expand...
Hey…my husband and I were just at one today…it wasn’t in Oregon was it? Because the Bishop did the same thing at our Cathedral…
 
Our Bishop stood in front of the Sanctuary after the Rite to greet the catechumens and candidates and many asked him to autograph their programs, which he graciously did. I think those would make awesome mementos.

Not only that, but the local news was there filming and had a segment on the evening news about it and the number of new Catholics coming into the Church in the Diocese. That was pretty neat. But actually the Bishop had to do the rite of Election twice, for the eastern and western counties of the Diocese–one at the Cathedral, and one at a parish in another city. He had to be exhausted at the end of the day.
 
Personally, anytime I get to meet a Catholic Bishop (from my diocese or otherwise) I try to get my picture taken with him. For me, it is a reminder that these men are the successors of the apostles and are leading the Church. The fact that I am able to meet them and get my picture taken with them as a memory is a blessing, I think. I mean, if I could meet one of the original apostles, I would certainly want my picture taken with them…so why not a modern-day one? For what it’s worth, I would ask the same of any Orthodox Bishop as well since they are also valid Bishops and successors of the apostles.
 
If the picture-taking is done in an orderly, respectful way, I would see nothing wrong with it. The bishop is a shepherd, and the people, his flock.
 
I think it’s very gracious of the bishop to make himself available for pictures afterward. Our (regional) bishop has always been willing to pose for pictures after confirmation. Similarly our pastor offers to be available for pictures after First Communion. In both cases it means people can get the photos they want without taking pictures during Mass. (There’s nothing like having flashes go off repeatedly during Mass to destroy any sense of reverence.)
 
Thanks for the answers.

Apparently I did not became mainstream American through the past 30 years. For me the memories are still in the heart not in the pictures. This is my problem, since yesterday my wife was accepted for confirmation, may be a should took a camera and make some photos, but I do not have photos neither of our wedding.
 
In my entire life, I have never been at an important liturgical celebration after which the bishop did NOT make time to be photographed with members of his flock. 😃
 
laszlo said:
I was in a Catechumen Election ceremony today. Quite beautiful rite, a bishop accepted several hundred catechumens and candidates for other initiation sacraments as preparation for the final step of their journey, finishing at Holy Saturday. There were over a hundred participants from about 70 parishes all over the archdiocese.

When the rite was over the bishop stood at the door of the cathedral allowing to photo himself with the participants for about 30 minutes. The relatives made the photos, so no money making business.

This was after the ceremony so liturgically nothing wrong with it, but I never had seen such thing. Is it in other dioceses too, and so it considered natural?
Click to expand...
At the Rite of Election our Bishop greeted all of the candidates and posed for pictures. The catechumens are very pleased that the Bishop sets aside time for them and it makes them feel welcome. Photos are a very American thing compared to Western Europe. I appreciate your discomfort but for most of us a scrapbook of memories is cherished throughout the ages.
 
laszlo said:
I .

When the rite was over the bishop stood at the door of the cathedral allowing to photo himself with the participants for about 30 minutes. The relatives made the photos, so no money making business.

This was after the ceremony so liturgically nothing wrong with it, but I never had seen such thing. Is it in other dioceses too, and so it considered natural?
Click to expand...
we had about 700 so bishop made himself available for pictures only with parish groups, not individuals and not in the main body of the Basilica. Since it took almost 2 hours for the rite of election, only a few stayed for photos. He allows no photos in church during this, Confirmation, or other rites. For confirmation he posed for almost an hour for individual photos with candidates–one photo op per family. He is very gracious this way.

your bishop did it right, after the rite, and not in the sanctuary. He was very accommodating to do it at all, since the rite itself can be exhausting.
 
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