To True Catholic Homepage 
 
Back to Pope's Homepage
The Episcopal Consecration 
of
His Holiness Pope Pius XIII
 
July 4, 1999

Kalispell, Montana, USA  - Pope Pius XIII was today consecrated as a Bishop of the Catholic Church.  This solemn rite of episcopal consecration can be found in its entirety at http://www.truecatholic.us/consecratebishop.htm. 

The consecrator was + Gordon Cardinal Bateman of Victoria, Australia.  The ceremony was held in a rented hotel ballroom in Kalispell, Montana, USA.  There were 28 members of the faithful in attendance, some travelling thousands of miles to witness this awe-inspiring event.  Three were recent converts, who the day prior, received conditional Baptism as well as Confirmation from the pope. 

A Pope, elected by either the College of Cardinals or by Catholics of the remnant Catholic Church, may be a simple priest or even a layman, so long as he caused to be conferred upon himself all the necessary ordinations after his election.  This is exactly what has happened today when Pope Pius XIII, a priest of the Catholic Church, was consecrated as a Bishop, the fullness of the priesthood. 

 

The photos below record selected parts of
the Episcopal Consecration of Pope Pius XIII 
 
The Oath of Office 

The Bishop-elect coming from his seat, kneels before the consecrator and reads, word for word, the oath to be taken according to the tenor of the Apostolic Mandate.
 
The Imposition of Hands

The bishop consecrator touches with both hands the head of the one to be consecrated.  The imposition of hands (with prayer) is the essential rite by which episcopal power is conferred.   

�Receive the Holy Ghost.�
 
 
�May these hands be anointed with the
sanctified oil and the chrism of sanctification,
as Samuel anointed David to be King and
Prophet; so may they be anointed
and consecrated.�
The Anointing of the Hands 

The Consecrator anoints with chrism the hands of the Bishop-elect in the form of a cross, by drawing two lines with the thumb of his right hand, which has been dipped in the oil, namely, from the thumb of the right hand to the index finger of the left, and from the thumb of the left hand to the index finger of the right. And afterwards he anoints the entire palms of the Bishop-elect.
 
 
The Elevation of
the Sacred Host

The Episcopal Consecration of Pius XIII was performed during a concelebrated mass offered by Cardinal Bateman and Pope Pius XIII. 
 
 
The Procession
and
Papal Blessing

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the pope, along with Cardinal Bateman and the servers, walk in procession around the chapel and the pope gives his Apostolic blessing to the faithful.
 

After the Ceremony: 
 
Gordon Cardinal Bateman
Bishop of the Catholic Church
(left) 

and 

His Holiness Pope Pius XIII (right) 
 
 
 
Reception

After the ceremony, a reception was held to congratulate the pope on his consecration to the Episcopacy.  His Holiness was in good spirits.
 
To Top of Page 
Top of Page		 To Pope's HomepagePope's Homepage
Email Address Email
to Papal Secretary
To True Catholic Homepage