4.
His Beatitude arrived at the Saint
Louis airport on February 13 accompanied by Their Excellencies Roland
Abou-Jaoude, Patriarchal Vicar General, Francis Baysari of Diman, Bechara
Rai of Byblos, Mounjed Al Hachem of Baalbeck, Youssef Bechara of
Antelias, Raymond Eid of Damascus, George Sader of Tyre,
Tanios Khoury of Sidon, Fouad El-Haje of Tripoli, Paul Mattar of Beirut, and Chokrallah Harb (retired).
5.
The delegation was received by His
Excellency Justin Rigali, Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Bishop-elect
Robert Shaheen, Bishop John Chedid of Los Angeles, Bishop Stephen Hector
Douiehi of New York, Archbishop Francis Zayek (retired), Bishop Joseph
Koury of Canada, and a large number of
faithful.
6.
Local and international reporters
joined television and press corps from Lebanon (The Lebanese Broadcast
Corporation International (LBCI), MTV, and AnNahar Newspaper) in covering the
Patriarch’s historic visit.
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III.
The
Ordination [i]
9.
The celebration began with the
Lighting of the Church by the deacons and sub-deacons. At the same time, a choir of 75 men and
women from the Maronite churches of Saint Raymond of Saint Louis, Missouri and
Saint Sharbel of Peoria, Illinois, led the congregation in singing the Hymn of
Light in Syriac and English. The Lighting of the Church proclaims Christ as the
Light that shines upon the world, conquering darkness and death. As illumination
in the Church increased, the beautiful mosaic walls reflected a shimmering
multicolored glow whereby the saints and angels appeared almost to become alive
and suspended between heaven and earth.
10.
When the bearer of the Cross began
the procession, people rose and turned to the foyer as the choir chanted the
Entrance Hymn ‘Come in Peace’, announcing the entry of the priest into
God’s house. When the procession advanced toward the alter, it passed the honor
guard of the Order of Saint Sharbel while the choir sang ‘Here I Enter’. 11.
Over three
hundred priests, monks, deacons, sub-deacons, and more than 20 bishops marched
through the church and took their places before Patriarch Sfeir reached the
altar. Enrobed as a representative of Christ the King, the Patriarch entered
wearing his patriarchal miter with the Cedar of Lebanon embroidered upon it,
holding the shepherd’s staff, and as in the Eastern tradition carrying the
hand-cross with which he blessed the congregation. Many people were in tears as
they watched the majestic procession. |
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12.
After the
singing of the Entrance Dialogue in Syriac at the foot of the altar, Bishop John
Chedid welcomed everybody, naming specifically His Beatitude Patriarch Sfeir,
His Eminence the Papal Nuncio Gabriel Montalvo, and Their Excellencies the
Maronite, Latin and Greek Catholic (Melkite) Bishops. 13.
After the Doxology, the Opening
Prayer, the Greetings, the Hymn of Angels, the Prayer of Forgiveness (Hoosoyo),
the Sedro, and the Qolo, the Patriarch prayed the Etro saying: “O Lord, in
Your mercy, accept this incense offered before You at this moment. Send Your
Holy Spirit to us and to Your servant, Robert, who awaits Your gifts. Thus, we
give glory and honor to You, to Your Father, the treasure of blessings, and to
Your Holy Spirit, the perfection of all gifts, now and for
ever.” 14.
Next, seminarian and choir director
Andre Mhana intoned skillfully the Gospel in Arabic, followed by the reading of
the Bible in English. The
Patriarch’s homily concentrated on the biblical quotation “Go first and be
reconciled with your brother” (Matthew 5:24). 15.
The Divine Liturgy continued with
the Pre-Anaphora when the patriarch approached the altar and awaited the
Transfer of the Offerings. He
prayed in Syriac “I will go to the altar of God”, followed by the
Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles which is appropriate at the ordination of a
bishop, a successor of the apostles. Before the Eucharistic prayer, the
Patriarch and all the Bishops removed their Miters. Bishop Zayek,
Bishops Douiehi and Chedid the current Bishops of New York and of Los Angeles,
the Papal Nuncio, and the Bishop of Saint Louis joined the Patriarch at the
altar for the Words of Institution which was sung in Syriac. For us who were
present, it was an awesome moment to hear the same words again proclaimed in the
language used by Christ nearly 2,000 years ago at the Last Supper. 16.
After the consecration of the
Eucharist, our awaiting the second coming of Christ is proclaimed: “Whenever
you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you do so in memory of me until I
come again.” 17.
After the invocation of the Holy
Spirit and the Intercessions, the choir and the congregation sang during
Communion: one of the most profound prayers in the Maronite tradition. “You have united, O Lord, Your
Divinity with our humanity and our humanity with Your Divinity; Your life with
our mortality and our mortality with Your life. You have assumed what is ours,
and You have given us what is Yours, for the life and salvation of our souls. To
You, O Lord, be glory for ever”.
Next, they sang: “Make us
worthy, O Lord God, to sanctify our bodies with Your holy body and to purify our
souls with Your forgiving blood. May our Communion be for the forgiveness of our
sins and for eternal life. O Lord our God, to You be glory, for ever.” Here,
the Patriarch and then all the bishops took communion while the choir and the
congregation sang: “Hosts of Heaven stand with us at the
altar”. 18.
After his communion, Patriarch Sfeir
was seated in the center of the altar area. He was wearing the Miter and holding
the hand-cross in his right hand and his pastoral staff in his left. The
Apostolic Nuncio read the Papal Bull, which contained the appointment of
Monsignor Shaheen as a bishop. The Bishop-Elect then removed his Phaino (cope) and the rite of ordination
began. |
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19.
Monsignor Shaheen then approached
the Patriarch, knelt before him, kissed his ring, and asked for his blessing,
saying in Syriac: “Give me your blessing, Father, Head of our Bishops.”
The Patriarch responded: “May the Lord God bless you with His right hand and
make you worthy of the Order of Bishop for which you were chosen. In the name of the Father and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The congregation answered: “Amen”. 20.
By kneeling before the Patriarch,
the Bishop-Elect “symbolized his unworthiness for the office to be assumed
and his dependence upon God and the prayers of the Christian community.” The
Patriarch then directed the Bishop-elect to recite the Profession of Faith,
saying: “Beloved brother, profess the faith that you signed with your own
hand.” The Bishop-elect proclaimed the following: | 
Bishop Shaheen |
|
21.
“I, Robert Shaheen, called by the grace of God and by the
choice of the Syriac Antiochene Maronite Bishops’ Synod from the Order of
Priesthood to the Order of Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los
Angeles, believe firmly in God the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. 22.
I believe in God the Father, who has no beginning or end.
He created the universe by His Word and sustains it by His Might. 23.
I believe in God the Son, the second Person of the Holy
Trinity, begotten of the Father from all eternity and not made; He took flesh by
the power of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary and became man, like us in all
things but sin. He guided us by the light of His gospel and redeemed us by His
cross on which He shed His blood for us in redemption of our sins. He rose from
the dead and poured forth for us the fountain of eternal life through the divine
Mysteries of His Church, especially: 24.
The Mystery of Baptism that enables us to become the
adopted children of God; 25.
The holy Myron (Chrism), by which the Holy Spirit empowers
us to proclaim our Christian faith; 26.
And the Mystery of the Eucharist, our food on our journey
toward Him Who is seated at the right hand of His Father as our Intercessor in
heaven. 27.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy
Trinity, the Giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son and has
spoken through the prophets and apostles. 28.
I acknowledge the first seven Ecumenical
Councils: 29.
The First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.), which confirmed
that the Son is of the same essence as the Father; 30.
The First Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.), which
confirmed that the Holy Spirit is of the same essence as the Father and the
Son; 31.
The Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.), which confirmed that the
Son is both true God and true Man and that the Virgin Mary is the Mother of God; 32.
The Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.), which confirmed that
in the Son there is one Person with two perfect natures, one divine and the
other human; 33.
The Second Council of Constantinople (537 A.D.), which
clearly reaffirmed the teachings of the previous Ecumenical Councils; 34.
The Third Council of Constantinople (681 A.D.), which
confirmed that there are two wills in the Son, one divine and the other human,
both in one Person; 35.
And Second Council of Nicaea (787 A.D.), which established
the veneration of the cross and icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the
saints.
36.
And I acknowledge the other Ecumenical Councils convened
subsequently by the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 37.
I acknowledge the Sacred Scriptures revealed in the Old and
New Testaments. 38.
I profess that the Lord Jesus Christ designated Peter as
his successor and the head of his Church; and that Peter placed his See in
Antioch first, then moved it to Rome where he was martyred for the love of
Christ. 39.
I acknowledge the successors of Peter, the great popes who
presided over the Church and occupied the See of Rome. I acknowledge especially
His Holiness Pope John Paul II. May God confirm his leadership. 40.
I also acknowledge that the Maronite Patriarchs succeeded
consecutively to the Antiochene See of Peter down to our Father, Patriarch Mar
Nasrallah Peter Sfeir. May God assist him and grant him many years of leadership
over us. 41.
I pledge before God, before the altar and the Holy
Mysteries, before the angels and saints, and before this community here present,
to submit to them and to obey them and their successors with a filial obedience
and to act according to their advice and their fatherly guidance. 42.
I also pledge to endeavor, by the grace of God, to make
every effort in directing the Eparchy entrusted to me, for the sanctification of
souls, clergy and laity and especially the priests, my collaborators in my
Episcopal mission. 43.
This is my profession; I proclaim
it freely; I signed it by my own hand. May God who is my Witness, help me to be
committed to it.” 44.
Monsignor Shaheen presented the
signed Profession of Faith to the Patriarch, asked for his blessing and returned
to his seat. Two bishops then came and led the Bishop-Elect to the Patriarch
saying: “We present to your
Beatitude, our pure Father Mar Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, our Patriarch, this
God-loving servant, Robert. He is standing here to accept the imposition of the
Divine Hand for the Order of Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los
Angeles. As he vows obedience to your Beatitude, we all pray for him, and
proclaim three times: Lord have mercy.” IV. The Rite of Imposition of the
Hands 45.
The
congregation was deeply reverent when the Bishop-Elect knelt for Divine Grace in
front of the Patriarch, who stood and removed his miter. Two co-consecrator
Bishops placed the Book of the Gospels, opened to John 10, over the head of the
Bishop-elect. They joined the Patriarch in placing their hands on the head of
the Bishop elect and prayed calling upon the Holy Spirit to descend and bless
him. The Patriarch then presented Bishop Shaheen with the Book of the Gospels,
inscribed with the date of the ordination and the ordination certificate both
signed by His Beatitude. 46.
The ceremony of the placing of the
hands resumed when the Patriarch placed his left hand on the Mysteries (the
bread and wine) and his right hand on the head of the Bishop-elect and prayed
again for the descent of the Holy Spirit. For the third prayer of the placing of
the hands, the Patriarch was joined by all the attending bishops who raised
their right hands toward the head of the Bishop-elect and declared together:
“By the power of your Word, O Lord God, and through Your compassion, You have
created all things. You established the universe by the will of Your Only
Begotten One; You granted us the understanding of truth, revealed to us Your
Holy Spirit, and gave us Your Beloved Son, the Word of God. By His outpouring of
[shedding of His] blood, the Church and the rites of priesthood were founded.
Now send Your Guiding Holy Spirit upon Your servant Robert, so that he may
shepherd the Church, lead it, and ordain priests and deacons for it. He will
consecrate altars and churches, bless the homes of the faithful, bind and loose,
and confirm Your people and the sheep of Your flock, for You are the Giver of
good works. To You, Lord God, be glory for ever.” The Deacon then
proclaimed: “With glory and honor You crowned him and by the works of Your
hands You empowered him.” 47.
The Imposition of Hands is a
pre-Christian tradition that was incorporated into Christianity. Placing the hands on another person is
symbolic not only of transferring blessing but also of passing on authority and
power. It is also to give the person a sacred character and to set him apart
from the rest of the designated ministry. Saint Paul in his First letter to
Timothy talked about the empowerment conferred by the imposition of the hands in
Chapter 4 Verse 14, saying “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was
conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the
presbyterate.” In Christianity, the imposition traces its power from the
Holy Spirit Who came over the Apostles and the Blessed Mother in the Upper Room.
This is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, as follow: “And
suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind and it
filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as
of fire, which parted and came and rested on each one of them and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke uses the placing of
hands in many instances in his recording of the Bible to indicate that
miraculous power or healing was conveyed (See Acts 5:12; 8:17-19; 9:12, 17;
14:3; and 19:6, 11). V. The Rite of the Anointing
with Myron (Chrism)
48.
Following the placing of the hands,
the Rite of the Anointing with the Myron (Chrism) began when the Bishop-Elect
knelt again before the Patriarch who anointed his head with the Holy Myron,
prayed, anointed the palms of the hands, joined them and prayed: “Grant him,
O Lord, by this anointing the joy of Your Holy Spirit and empower him with that
power You granted to Your Apostles so that he may offer sacrifices and
offerings, distribute Your Divine Mysteries to the faithful, and walk before You
with a living faith and pure heart all the days of his
life.” 49.
In the days of the Old Testament,
prophets, priests, and kings were appointed by anointing their heads with
special oil. The tradition continued in Christianity through the use of
specially prepared oil called The Myron.
By this ritual, the ordination is sealed and cannot be erased. It means that the thoughts and hands of the
Bishop are marked by the Holy Spirit and are prepared for the sacred
duties. 50.
While the Patriarch and the
Bishop-Elect washed their hands, the choir and the faithful sang “O Lord,
protect Your Holy Church.” His
Beatitude was then seated and proclaimed the ordination of the new
Bishop. VI.
The Rite of the
Enthronement 51.
With the announcement, the
ordination was concluded. Then
began the Vesting and Handing Over of the Episcopal Insignia when the Patriarch
pronounced: “Beloved brother, your ordination to the Order of Bishop is
accomplished. Put on now the vestment and carry the Episcopal insignia, not for
a perishable and worldly consideration, but for the greater glory of God and the
up-building of the Holy Church.” The Patriarch then handed the new Bishop
his cope, a pectoral cross, a ring and a Miter. As he handed him the staff, the
Patriarch proclaimed: “The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth
from Zion” (Ps 110:2). The choir then sang “Save Your people, and bless
Your inheritance; shepherd them, and carry them forever.” (Ps 28:9). 52.
The final rite was the Seating upon
the Throne. The Patriarch directed the new Bishop to sit on the chair prepared
for him saying: “Sit as a bishop on the chair of the Eparchy of Our Lady of
Lebanon of Los Angeles in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.” The choir then proclaimed “He is most deserving and
worthy.” 53.
This ritual is
figurative for it reflects the reign of the Kingdom of God, with Christ as the
King. Because the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, are the heirs of
Jesus on earth, they are symbolically enthroned as leaders of their See to
accomplish the Kingdom of God on Earth. 54.
Next, there was
the procession of the new bishop through the church accompanied by two bishops
on either side of him. He carried the pastoral staff in his left hand and with
the hand-cross in his right, blessed the people. The procession ended with a
thanksgiving prayer by His Beatitude. Returning to his seat the new bishop
received greetings from the bishops attending. Then the priests of his diocese
came individually, knelt before him and kissed his ring as a sign of
obedience.
Patriarch Sfeir leads Bishop Shaheen to the people after the ordination and the enthronement ceremonies. 55.
The new Bishop proceeded to the
altar to take communion followed by the priests, deacons, and the laity. The
ordination then ended with the blessing, dismissal and “the prayer of farewell”
to the altar. Bishop Shaheen then made his first public speech as a Bishop. He asked people to say a Hail Mary for him and to pray for the Patriarch
and Lebanon. 56.
The ordination and enthronement,
which was attended by over 1500 people, lasted over three hours. People were
absorbed in prayer and they were inspired by the music and the symbolic rituals.
Although the whole ceremony was grand with the Patriarch presiding and more than
twenty bishops attending it, there was an atmosphere of humility, mysticism and
spirituality that cannot be conveyed in words. The choir sounded heavenly. The
translation of Syriac prayers into English maintained an air and essence of the
early centuries in the life of the ancient Eastern Church. There
was complete harmony throughout the sacred multi-lingual ceremonies. 57.
The ordination and enthronement As
Bishop Shaheen assumes his responsibilities, we join Saint Ephrem the
Hymnographer in praying for His Excellency, chanting “O you pastors, be made
like unto that Diligent Pastor, Leader of the whole flock who cared so greatly
for His flock. He brought near those who were afar. He brought back the
wanderers. He visited the sick. He strengthened the weak. He bound up the
broken.” VII. Bishop Robert J. Shaheen’s Coat of Arms |
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58.
A coat of arms
is a visual expression of one’s personal and professional life. By heraldic
tradition, the personal arms of the Bishop of a Diocese -- the right side of the
shield is joined with the arms of his Diocese -- the left side of the shield. |  |
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59.
The ordination booklet describes
Bishop Shaneen’s coat of arms as follows:
“arms of the Diocese are composed of a white field on which the main
symbol is the cedar of Lebanon, giving graphic representation to the title of
the Diocese. This symbol is combined with, and placed below, a crescent and
scattering of twelve stars against a blue background to honor the Blessed Virgin
Mary, the titular of the Diocese, by calling to mind the description given to
May in the Book of Revelation: “… a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon
under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1). The twelve
stars also have particular significance to the Maronite Church, for they express
the Bishop’s status as a successor of the twelve apostles. Below the cedar is a
pair of silver angel wings to signify that the seat of the Diocese is in los
Angeles, the ‘city of Angels.’ For his personal arms, seen in the right side of
the design, Bishop Shaheen has adopted a design that reflects the story of his
ministry. Against a golden field stands a white Antionchene cross, closely
associated with the Maronite Church and its Patriarchate. On the cross is placed
a brown carpenter’s right angle, symbol of St. Joseph, a favorite patron saint
of the bishop. On one side of the cross is a red stone bridge rising above the
water, a design borrowed from the city of Bridgeport in Connecticut, the
Diocesan seat of the bishop’s childhood home of Danbury. On the other side of
the cross is a silver arch, also rising above the water, a symbol of the city of
St. Louis in which the Bishop served as Pastor for thirty-four years prior to
his Episcopal appointment. The blue and white waters below the cross recall the
Mystic River of Connecticut and the Mississippi River of Missouri. Thus the
symbols speak of the Bishop building up the Maronite Church from his origins in
Connecticut to his ministry in St. Louis. For his motto, Bishop Shaheen has
selected the phrase, “ Be Not Afraid,” written in English and in Syriac. These
words, taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew (14:27), have been a constant
refrain in the papacy of Pope John Paul II who appointed Bishop Shaheen, and
express to us the Bishop’s firm faith in Jesus Christ. The device is completed
with the external ornament of a gold processional
cross.” [i] The prayers cited in this article are direct quotes
from the ordination booklet. |