by Michael Silhavy
I had the pleasure of being in Holy Name Cathedral for the installation of Blase Cupich as the ninth archbishop of Chicago. For me, one of the most anticipated moments of the liturgy was the reading of the apostolic mandate, or the papal bull, announcing the appointment. Here’s the full text:
To Our Venerable Brother, Blase Joseph Cupich, until now Bishop of Spokane, at this time appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Chicago, greetings and Apostolic blessing.
When Our Venerable Brother Francis Eugene George, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, resigned from his archepiscopal office after an extensive, steadfast, and diligent ministry, it was without delay that We hastened to assign a new Shepherd to that celebrated “City of Broad Shoulders,” which from the very beginning has been strong in its Catholic faith and also known for its hardworking citizens. Indeed, needless to say, it is only fitting that the See of Chicago be governed by a faithful and watchful servant, since it is Our desire that this ecclesial community, both old and new, continue henceforth to flourish, to blossom and to grow. For this reason, Venerable Brother, We turn our attention to you, who for some time now have labored zealously for the Flock in Spokane, and We judge you to have the requisite virtues of mind and character, by which you can carry out the governance of the Church in the “Windy City.”
Therefore, upon consultation with the Congregation for Bishops, by virtue of the fullness of Our Apostolic authority, We release you from the bond of the Church of Spokane, and We choose and appoint you Metropolitan Archbishop of Chicago, with the obligations and the rights prescribed in canon law. In addition, We mandate that both the clergy and the people of your Local Church be informed about this Our decree and decision, and that they warmly welcome you as their Shepherd and guardian of truth.
Finally, Venerable Brother, as you travel east and embrace the people being entrusted to you in the State of Illinois, do not forget that the Lord, Who became our peace, had wished to set the earth on fire spiritually, so that, reconciling everything on earth and in the heavens through His cross, He might distinguish the true from the false, sift the wheat from the darnel, separate the evil from the good, longing to seek out whatever is lost and to bring it to salvation.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, on the twentieth day of the month of September, in the year of the Lord two thousand fourteen, the second of Our Pontificate.
Pope Francis
Rather than focusing on any message or admonition in the mandate, I found myself delighting in its language. Someone really did their homework and had a good time writing this thing.
The fun began with working in the phrase “City of Broad Shoulders.” Carl Sandburg would have been proud. Chicagoans would have beamed with pride over the phrase “hardworking citizens”; it’s a descriptor residents are happy to claim as one of their attributes.
Perhaps the reference to city’s strong Catholic faith “from the very beginning” is due to the missionary activity of Pere Marquette, acknowledged as one of the city’s “discovers.” And, by the way, he just happened to be a Jesuit.
The term “Windy City” was also used, and that one got a modest chuckle from those in attendance. That’s a term you just don’t expect to hear in a Vatican document. (I am thankful the Vatican language police did not try to correct that one.)
Francis expressed his wishes that the local church of Chicago continue to “blossom and grow.” That’s innocuous enough language, and perhaps there’s no cleverness as in the examples above, but it is a wonderful image for a city whose motto is Urbus en horto: a city in a garden.
The phrase “travel east” was a nice nod to Spokane and the phrase “set the earth on fire” was also quite clever. Was it a reference to the great Chicago Fire of 1871?
Half of the archdiocesan crest is given over to a depiction of a phoenix in recognition of the city that rose from the ashes. Was the fire image a nod to St. Blase? Cupich’s coat or arms contains two burning candles in honor of his name sake. And then there’s the thought that the writer is playing upon the Blase/blaze homophone.
Perhaps readers may want to write in with their own examples of clever language from other installations. And perhaps someone can answer the question, Who is tasked with writing these mandates? This one was well thought out if not outright playful.
Michael Silhavy is Assistant Senior Editor at GIA Publications, Inc. He is a graduate of Saint John’s University School of Theology-Seminary.
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