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The bishops, appointed by the Holy Spirit as successors to the Apostles, respond to the Lord's call to be with Him and, through Him, be sent on a mission (cf. Mark 3:13-14). God, the love that calls, is the Lord who gives life, and in communion, the bishop proclaims this love. In this way, the bishops also respond to the prayerful request of Jesus Christ addressed to the Father: "That all may be one" (John 17:21).
In the strength of the Holy Spirit, the bishops perpetuate the work of Christ, the Eternal Shepherd. Indeed, Christ entrusted to the Apostles and their successors the mandate and power to teach all nations, to sanctify people in truth, and to shepherd them. Sharing in the concern for all the Churches, bishops exercise this ministry in union with the Supreme Pontiff and under his authority, especially in matters related to teaching and pastoral governance. They are all united in a college or body for the benefit of the entire Church of God, as outlined in the conciliar decree "Christus Dominus" (cf. n.3).
This decree also underscores the central importance of dialogue in the episcopal vocation and mission: "Since it is the mission of the Church to converse with the human society in which it lives, it is especially the duty of bishops to seek out men and both request and promote dialogue with them." The bishop is the first subject and promoter of the Church's dialogue with humanity. Thus, "truth may be joined to charity and understanding with love . . . [in so doing, the bishop] can bring about a union of minds." (cf. "Christus Dominus," n.13).
As St. John Paul II reminded us in his 2004 speech to some American bishops on an ad limina visit: "A fundamental challenge in this area is surely that of bringing about a fruitful encounter between the Gospel and the new global culture which is rapidly taking shape because of unprecedented growth in communications and the expansion of a world economy. ...The new evangelization calls for a clear discernment of the profound spiritual needs and aspirations of a culture which, for all its aspects of materialism and relativism, is nonetheless profoundly attracted to the primordially religious dimension of the human experience and is struggling to rediscover its spiritual roots. For the Church in America, the evangelization of culture can thus offer a unique contribution to the Church's mission ad gentes in our day." ("Ad Limina" visit, 4 Sept. 2004).
A luminous testament to the encounter between the Gospel and a new culture is also found in the life of St. John Nepomucene Neumann, fourth bishop of Philadelphia (d. 1860). In the homily for his 1977 canonization Mass, Pope St. Paul VI recalled that "His love for people was authentic brotherly love. It was real charity: missionary and pastoral charity. It meant that he gave himself to others. Like Jesus the Good Shepherd, he lays down his life for the sheep, for Christ's flock: to provide for their needs, to lead them to salvation. And today, with the Evangelist, we solemnly proclaim: 'There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends' (John 15:13)." St. John Neumann lived love in solidarity with the neediest: "He was close to the sick; he was at home with the poor; he was a friend to sinners. And today he is the honor of all immigrants, and from the viewpoint of the Beatitudes the symbol of Christian success."