My questions. Please answer

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Benedicti

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Hello
I want to ask about:
  1. The term ,Holy Father" for the Pope. How i should understant the term ,holy"? I know that a person is declared holy after his dead. Why the pope is named ,holy". How i should understand it?
  2. Why a bishop must resign at age limit. Why is there a age limit. If that bishop is a good, loved, and have a good physical shape, why he must resign? Why he is bound to do so.
  3. It is there any rule that if a pope past away, all bishop must lost theirs ,seats" and they must be confirmed by the next pope. If there is this sort of rule, please tell me why. Which is the logic of it?
    Thank you
 
My thoughts:
  1. The pope is the “Holy Father” because of the nature of his office. Not that Pope Benedict himself isn’t holy, necessarily, (I think he is) but there have been popes who definitely weren’t. 😦 I think those popes would still have been “Holy Father”, because the office of the pope itself is holy. Does that make sense?
  2. The age limit for bishops is actually up to the Pope. From what I understand, they are asked to resign, but the Pope has the discretion to accept or not accept his resignation. A good, loved, healthy bishop that made known his desire to stay on probably would, I think, based on what I read here.
americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=754
  1. There is no rule like that.
 
I can answer #1 a bit. When we speak of the Holy Father, we are referring to an office Jesus Christ established when he built His Church upon the rock, Peter. Scripture speaks often of the “office” of bishop, among whom Peter was the head. This office is properly seen as “holy” as it is a gift from Christ. When we say “Holy Father” we are typically referring to this role that Christ gave us. It does not necessarily mean that the occupant of the office is himself holy, although there have indeed been many holy Popes. :o
 
Question 2. While the term “resignation” is correct and used, it is really a retirement. I mean, the limit is 75.

Question 3: Generally this is not correct. However, there is one very narrow instance when that happens. There are times when the Pope will elevate a priest to be a bishop or name a bishop as a cardinal but keeps that elevation or nomination secret. Why would a Pope do this and keep it secret? Generally because the bishop is serving in a location where there is serious persecution going on, such China, parts of Africa and parts of India today. In the past this included the former Soviet Union and several other communist nations. Unless these are made public, these expire when the Pope dies.
 
Benedicti said:
Hello
I want to ask about:
  1. The term ,Holy Father" for the Pope. How i should understant the term ,holy"? I know that a person is declared holy after his dead. Why the pope is named ,holy". How i should understand it?
  2. Why a bishop must resign at age limit. Why is there a age limit. If that bishop is a good, loved, and have a good physical shape, why he must resign? Why he is bound to do so.
  3. It is there any rule that if a pope past away, all bishop must lost theirs ,seats" and they must be confirmed by the next pope. If there is this sort of rule, please tell me why. Which is the logic of it?
    Thank you
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Holy means “set apart for God’s exclusive use”.

Bishops are installed for life. The Church has determined that the age makes sense, however they can be told to continue service after that age if the Church requires this.

The only rule is that the Cardinals of the Curia appointed by the current Pope loose their positions unless re-confirmed by the new Pope.
 
Benedicti said:
  1. Why a bishop must resign at age limit. Why is there a age limit. If that bishop is a good, loved, and have a good physical shape, why he must resign? Why he is bound to do so.
Click to expand...
There is no “must” involved. Nobody (not even the Pope) can compel a bishop to resign.

A bishop is *requested *(though not required) to offer his resignation at age 75 (Canon 401). The Pope is NOT required to accept the resignation. Surely the Pope would decline the offer from a bishop who was of sound mind, body, and spirit and who wished to continue to exercise his ministry.

Should the resignation be accepted, Canon 402 stipulates that the Bishop be properly provided for:
A bishop whose resignation from office has been accepted retains the title of emeritus of his diocese and can retain a place of residence in that diocese if he so desires, unless in certain cases the Apostolic See provides otherwise because of special circumstances.
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The conference of bishops must take care that suitable and decent support is provided for a retired bishop, with attention given to the primary obligation which binds the diocese he has served.
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The reason for requesting their resignations should be pretty obvious. Age 75 is getting pretty old to bear the burdens of running a Diocese. Elderly bishops ought to have the chance to rest after a full lifetime of service and sacrifice.
 
Thank you all for answers. It is much clear now and make sense.
If you want to add another addition, please, feel free to do so.
Br.Rich_SFO said:
The only rule is that the Cardinals of the Curia appointed by the current Pope loose their positions unless re-confirmed by the new Pope.
Click to expand...
So, the answer for question 3 is that this is a rule only for Roman Curia, not for the diocesan bishops.

Happy Easter to all!
 
Benedicti said:
Thank you all for answers. It is much clear now and make sense.
If you want to add another addition, please, feel free to do so.

So, the answer for question 3 is that this is a rule only for Roman Curia, not for the diocesan bishops.

Happy Easter to all!
Click to expand...
I should clarify that I speak of their positions or offices in the Roman Curia.
 
Hi again.
I want to ask about the fasting in the catholic church, roman rite.
I want to know which are the fasting periods of a year and how you should fast (allowed or forbidden foods). Can someone make me a list of all the fastings of the roman-catholic church?
Thank you
 
In the New Testament, St. Paul often refers to Christians as “saints” or “holy ones.” So, it should not be surprising that a pastor of the Christian Church is referred to as “Holy Father.”
 
Benedicti said:
Hi again.
I want to ask about the fasting in the catholic church, roman rite.
I want to know which are the fasting periods of a year and how you should fast (allowed or forbidden foods). Can someone make me a list of all the fastings of the roman-catholic church?
Thank you
Click to expand...
There are two days of Fasting in the Roman Church (at least in the US): Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. You are allowed one main meal and two snacks that together are the size of the main meal. There is no specific list of foods except: Ash Wednesday and All Fridays in Lent are days of Abstinence from eating meat as well.
 
Benedicti said:
Hi again.
I want to ask about the fasting in the catholic church, roman rite.
I want to know which are the fasting periods of a year and how you should fast (allowed or forbidden foods). Can someone make me a list of all the fastings of the roman-catholic church?
Thank you
Click to expand...
This should have been a new thread, but…

papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6paen.htm

In order that all the faithful, however, may be united in a common celebration of penitence, the Apostolic See intends to establish certain penitential days and seasons63 chosen among those which in the course of the liturgical year are closer to the paschal mystery of Christ64 or might be required by the special needs of the ecclesial community.65

Therefore, the following is declared and established:

I. 1. By divine law all the faithful are required to do penance.
  1. The prescriptions of ecclesiastical law regarding penitence are totally reorganized according to the following norms:
II. 1. The time of Lent preserves its penitential character. The days of penitence to be observed under obligation through-out the Church are all Fridays and Ash Wednesday, that is to say the first days of “Grande Quaresima” (Great Lent), according to the diversity of the rite. Their substantial observance binds gravely. (See note at end.)
  1. Apart from the faculties referred to in VI and VIII regarding the manner of fulfilling the precept of penitence on such days, **abstinence is to be observed on every Friday which does not fall on a day of obligation, while abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday or, according to local practice, on the first day of ‘Great Lent’ and on Good Friday **(see note at end).
III. 1. The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, the products of milk or condiments made of animal fat.
  1. The law of fasting allows only one full meal a day, but does not prohibit taking some food in the morning and evening, observing- -as far as quantity and quality are concerned – approved local custom.
IV. To the law of abstinence those are bound who have completed their 14th year of age. To the law of fast those of the faithful are bound who have completed their 21st year and up until the beginning of their 60th year. As regards those of a lesser age, pastors of souls and parents should see to it with particular care that they are educated to a true sense of penitence.
 
Benedicti said:
Hi again.
I want to ask about the fasting in the catholic church, roman rite.
I want to know which are the fasting periods of a year and how you should fast (allowed or forbidden foods). Can someone make me a list of all the fastings of the roman-catholic church?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Days of fasting: Ash Wednesday (the 7th Wednesday before Easter Sunday) and Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday). In 2011, Ash Wednesday falls on March 9; Good Friday on April 22. (Code of Canon Law, Canon 1251)

There is also a one-hour Eucharistic fast, in which only water and medicine are permitted in the hour before receiving Holy Communion. However, the elderly and those suffering from some illness and their caregivers are not bound to keep the one-hour Eucharist fast. (Code of Canon Law, Canon 919)

If you live in the United States, you may find the USCCB’s Penitential Practices for Today’s Catholics of some help.

With respect to days of abstinence from meat (Latin carnis), fish is not considered meat and may be eaten.
 
Benedicti said:
Hello
I want to ask about:
  1. The term ,Holy Father" for the Pope. How i should understant the term ,holy"? I know that a person is declared holy after his dead. Why the pope is named ,holy". How i should understand it?
  2. Why a bishop must resign at age limit. Why is there a age limit. If that bishop is a good, loved, and have a good physical shape, why he must resign? Why he is bound to do so.
  3. It is there any rule that if a pope past away, all bishop must lost theirs ,seats" and they must be confirmed by the next pope. If there is this sort of rule, please tell me why. Which is the logic of it?
    Thank you
Click to expand...
Hi Brother Benedicti,
Just for future reference, The way this type of form works best is to ask one question at a time and then, when that is resolved, start another thread for each separate issue.

Brother Moscati gave a excellent explanation here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=6478070&postcount=2
 
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