Pomiędzy władzą a służbą – posługa biskupa w Kościele w świetle teologii św. Augustyna

Abstract

Bishop should watch over entrusted him community of Church and takes care of their good in special way. Elevation special for this office should not be the pride but should enable him to realize caring watching over good of the faithful. That is why the elevation is real dignity which is entitled to have upper place in Church, but only because of good of community entrusted his care. The pastoral care becomes the power of ruling and managing Church. It is expressed by passing the orthodox education and punishing the sins of members of Church, by reprimanding and encouraging. But bishop is not over Church, but is one of its members and as a leader is followed by the Christ’s disciples, leading them. The real leader, so leading shepherd and guard can be only who serves all those who follow him and by doing this is good example and leader to follow. That is why the dignity of bishop office and elevation connected with it is fulfilled only thanks to humble service towards Christ’s disciples. Holding the office of bishop is accompanied by the temptation of self-elevation and its source is hubris. It happens when bishop pays people’s attention to himself and yields the temptation of human honours and ruling instead of concentrates them on Christ. Then the size of the office becomes pomposity and the leading of Church becomes only ruling. This pompous ruling needs to be accepted by bishop’s subordinates. This specific and watching from subordinates’ point of view for of acceptance which works in this type of system is called by St. Augustine flattery. The remedy for the illness of pomposity of power is humble worshiping of God and the appreciation for given grants and the memory about sinfulness, but mainly love Christ and Church which orders to forget about ourselves and take care of the others. Love does not remove from the office of bishop the aspect of power, but makes him realize himself as the service for good of other members of Church community. Thanks to it the power stops to be only ruling but becomes caring about the good of others. Love lets him lead Church in proper way and be real bishop in Church.