If you take seriously, as I do, the notions of apostolic succession and the necessity of the Church manifesting “God with us” today, alive in the world, then this account of the U.S. bishops provides wonderful food for thought.
It provides cause for grounded hope. These are good men with strong habits of sacrifice, prayer, and service, while living in a “me-first” society. In fact, one of the most uplifting—and yes, surprising—aspects of the entire survey was the amount of time the vast majority of bishops spend praying. Having sat in on countless meetings with bishops wielding calendars bleeding blue ink (into two or three years hence), I was frankly surprised at this good news. But only a tad less surprised than when I learned how many of them exercise regularly. I would imagine it’s a matter of absolute necessity, again, given what I have experienced of their insane schedules....
