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28/12/2023

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25/12/2023

Luke 2:6-20
[6]And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,
[7]And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.
[8]And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.
[9]And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened.
[10]But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.
[11]For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! [Mic. 5:2.]
[12]And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [I Sam. 2:34; II Kings 19:29; Isa. 7:14.]
[13]Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying,
[14]Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].
[15]When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing (saying) that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.
[16]So they went with haste and [by searching] found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger.
[17]And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child,
[18]And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.
[19]But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing and pondering them in her heart.
[20]And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

18/12/2023

MY CATHOLIC FAITH: WHAT IS THE ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE OF CATHEDRATICUM IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

INTRODUCTION
It is customary in the life of the Catholic Church that once every year, catholic faithful gather as a unique family to concretize their heart-felt gratitude to their bishop. This is done to support the bishop in the over-loaded pastoral assignments which he has in the diocese and to showcase their faithfulness, obedience and reaffirm their humble commitment to the teaching authority and leadership of the bishop. This act is called Cathedraticum. What then is the origin of Cathedraticum and why is it so important?

MEANING/ ORIGIN OF CATHEDRATICUM
The term Cathedraticum is of Latin origin and is derived from the root word "cathedra" meaning Episcopal Seat or Throne or Chair of the Bishop as the teacher and leader of the Diocese. Therefore, Cathedraticum means appreciation given to the Cathedra and since it is the Bishop who sits on the Cathedra, the appreciation goes to him for his work in the local Church.

From the earliest days of the Church, this word has been used to refer to the episcopal seat of the Bishop, the teacher and leader of the diocese and the Bishop's authority as chief shepherd and teacher of the diocese has been recognized since the early days of the church.

Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the first formal cathedraticum was ordered by the Second Council of Braga in 572, but it was not until Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) that it became universal in the Western church. At that time, this tax was paid at the time of the bishop's annual visit to a parish but in our time today it is being done at different times according to Diocesan stipulations.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE /IMPORTANCE OF CATHEDRATICUM?
We have to understand that the need to support a bishop and his administration of the local church (the diocese) has always been recognized as something each Christian is obliged to do - just as the early Christians supported the Apostles and other ministers.

The importance and significance of Cathedraticum is thus stated below:

First and foremost, The celebration of the cathedraticum is a significant ceremony in the life of any diocese. At this celebration, the Catholic faithful of a particular diocese gather around their Bishop to pray with him and bless him materially to aid his work of charity to the poor and needy.

Furthermore, It is also a mark of honour and a sign of subjection to the cathedral church, from which its name is derived. Hence Cathedraticum has both moral and spiritual significance. The moral significance entails that it is aimed at appreciating and supporting the Chief Shepherd in his ministry to the poor while the spiritual significance consists in the fact that prayer is offered during the ceremony for all those gathered for the celebration.

More so, participation in Cathedraticum enables one to fulfil two major important religious obligations; First, is to support the Bishop in his pastoral work and second to showcase that one is under the pastoral care and leadership of the Bishop.

Finally, Participation and attendance to Cathedraticum avails each one of us the opportunity of gathering round our Chief shepherd to celebrate the Eucharist as a Family and also to thank God for his goodness in our lives and the lives of our Local Churches.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion as clearly stated in Can. 222 §1. "The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers". Thus, as members of Christ's faithful, we all share in the work of the bishop - and our participation in the Cathedraticum is just one way we practice that stewardship. Let us then be encouraged to generously contribute to Cathedraticums' in our various Deanaries and Dioceses.

THANK YOU FOR READING, MAY GOD BLESS US ALL AND STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH.