Bishop's Name in Liturgy of the Hours

[amitmshanker]

Hello, I am a long-time viewer of these forums, but this is my first post, and I look forward to your responses.

I have been praying the Liturgy of the Hours each day as my New Year’s resolution this year, and I’ve just run across a part that is confusing to me. In today’s intercessions during Evening Prayer, there is a prayer that reads as follows: “Preserve our holy father, Pope N., and N., our bishop, come with your power to help them.” Pope Francis is easy to insert, but I am currently visiting family in Oklahoma, whereas my permanent residence and home parish are in St. Louis, MO. Is it proper to use my bishop’s name, or should I use the name of the bishop where I am when I pray this office? Tonight I said both of them, and I expect they’d both appreciate the prayers, but I was just wondering if one is more proper than the other.

Thank you!

 

[Richard_White]

I would just pray for your home Bishop, because that is what the prayer is asking you to insert - the name of your own Bishop, who is the shepherd of God’s flock where you live.

May God bless you abundantly and forever!

 

[landon13]

When I pray the LOTH, I will insert the name of my home bishop and then sometimes the name of this one bishop I met and who gave me a blessing once. I guess now that I’m going to college I should insert the name of the bishop for that diocese.

 

[InThePew]

In the LOTH - as with the mass - the name of the local bishop is used - even if you’re from a diocese other than the one you’re in is in. If you don’t know the name of the bishop then you should simply say “the bishop of this Church”. That said, if you really want to say the name of your own bishop then go ahead - it’s not like the world’s going to stop turning if you do.

 

[elmerm]

Hello, I am a long-time viewer of these forums, but this is my first post, and I look forward to your responses.

I have been praying the Liturgy of the Hours each day as my New Year’s resolution this year, and I’ve just run across a part that is confusing to me. In today’s intercessions during Evening Prayer, there is a prayer that reads as follows: “Preserve our holy father, Pope N., and N., our bishop, come with your power to help them.” Pope Francis is easy to insert, but I am currently visiting family in Oklahoma, whereas my permanent residence and home parish are in St. Louis, MO. Is it proper to use my bishop’s name, or should I use the name of the bishop where I am when I pray this office? Tonight I said both of them, and I expect they’d both appreciate the prayers, but I was just wondering if one is more proper than the other.

Thank you!

When praying the Divine Office when traveling outside of my home Diocese, I would mention the Local Ordinary of the place that I’m visiting. I do this to signify my communion with the Local Church of the place. (NOTE: I’m not a priest.)

I don’t remember the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours saying anything about mentioning Bishops’ in the Intercessions, but I suppose the norms for mentioning Bishops’ names in the Eucharistic Prayer at Holy Mass also applies to mentioning them in the Divine Office.

Fr. McNamara expounds on this topic further in his article “Which Ordinary to Mention at Mass.”

 

[otjm]

We recently had a priest say Mass in our parish, and he was/is on “permanent loan” in our archdiocese as a chaplain for a hospital group. During Mass, he prayed for the local Archbishop, and then added “and my bishop, (name)”. That was the only way I knew he was not a “local” (well, sort of…).

Do your best; if you don’t know the name of the local bishop, I really don’t think God is going to frown…

 

[Elizium23]

We recently had a priest say Mass in our parish, and he was/is on “permanent loan” in our archdiocese as a chaplain for a hospital group. During Mass, he prayed for the local Archbishop, and then added “and my bishop, (name)”. That was the only way I knew he was not a “local” (well, sort of…).

Do your best; if you don’t know the name of the local bishop, I really don’t think God is going to frown…

I think priests receive guidelines from their ordinaries or superiors about how to commemorate the bishops in the Eucharistic Prayers. I reasoned this because it is done differently by my pastor and my parochial vicar, the pastor being a secular priest and the vicar belonging to an institute of consecrated life. The difference is this: our pastor says “for our bishop, N. and his assistant bishop, the Order of Bishops…” and our vicar says “for our bishop, N. and his auxiliary bishop, N., the Order of Bishops…”

I could ask them and find out for reals, though.

 

[otjm]

I think priests receive guidelines from their ordinaries or superiors about how to commemorate the bishops in the Eucharistic Prayers. I reasoned this because it is done differently by my pastor and my parochial vicar, the pastor being a secular priest and the vicar belonging to an institute of consecrated life. The difference is this: our pastor says “for our bishop, N. and his assistant bishop…” and our vicar says “for our bishop, N. and his auxiliary bishop, N.”

I could ask them and find out for reals, though.

That would be fine. It didn’t disturb me, but I was paying attention, and had a momentary “What?”. My equanimity, however, was not disturbed. I tend more towards the Mediterranean approach to law than the Germanic.

Tend being the operative word.

 

[OraLabora]

In the LOTH - as with the mass - the name of the local bishop is used - even if you’re from a diocese other than the one you’re in is in. If you don’t know the name of the bishop then you should simply say “the bishop of this Church”. That said, if you really want to say the name of your own bishop then go ahead - it’s not like the world’s going to stop turning if you do.

The rubrics don’t specify. The rules of domicile are, I believe, addressed in Canon Law. In public recitation, it’s a non-issue. The name of the local bisop(s) of wher you are will always be used.

In private recitation, no matter where I am, I use the name of the bishop who has jurisdiction over me, that is my home bishop, as I’m always a transient in other dioceses and can’t always be bothered to look up the name of the local bishop. I mean, it just isn’t practical when, for example, I pray an Office between connecting flights at an airport, even less so when I pray on the plane flying over some unknown diocese