Interview with Bishop Joe Grech
On the occasion of his ordination

What was your reaction to the news that you were going to be made a bishop of the Church?

I was preparing for a staff meeting, planning retreats for the seminarians, and when I came out I went through the mail, and there was this letter — nothing special about it — but inside was another sealed envelope from the Papal Nuncio in Canberra. When I opened it up it said that “it is the wish of the Holy Father.” I was stunned. I had to read it three or four times to make sure it was real.

But after that there were two reactions in my heart. Yes, I was honoured, but it was not just myself that was being honoured, but my spirituality, and all that I have been involved in the past 25 years — the prayer groups, the Schools of Evangelisation. It was a real affirmation of all that kind of spirituality — to rely totally on God, the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, the promoting of the gifts — that is being officially sanctioned, and is an honour for us all.

The other thing, however, is that it was a humbling experience. Why me? It really hit home how much more I will really have to rely on God. The work as such does not bother me, because I believe what St Therese of Lisieux tells us: “when God asks you to do something, he will not only tell you what it is, but make it possible for you to do it.”

So the job doesn’t frighten me. What I really need to be very careful about is me, because I do not trust myself. I know that I am a human being and therefore I have to spend much more time in deepening my relationship with God. It is a humbling experience — humbling in a good way.

That is why I chose the reading for my Ordination from John 21, where Jesus asks, “Do you love me more than these others do?” I am challenged, not to be a bishop really — that is a ministry that follows — the more basic question is, “Do you really love me more than anything else in your life?” It is an invitation from Jesus to take a further, deeper step. I must go deeper now, and the more sincerely I can answer that question, the better a bishop I will be.

What are your first priorities as a bishop?

The roles of a bishop according to the official documents of the church are to teach, to celebrate the sacraments, and to govern. More and more my role will be to proclaim Jesus. As Paul said, it is his message, we are his servants, and our job is simply to preach Jesus Christ. I believe that my primary role is to teach, to celebrate with the people, to celebrate with priests, and to be of service to people, being there and encouraging them, working with my fellow priests.

I believe, too, that, living in Australia at this time, where there is more and more consciousness of multiculturalism, part of my role is to be a sign, being the first non-Anglo-Saxon bishop here in Melbourne. The Church is saying now that every culture can and does contribute, both to the religious life of this country and its cultural life, and I am a sign of that. My role includes giving further impetus to that.

What will your approach be to administering the Sacrament of Confirmation?

I remember from my theology studies that the purpose of Confirmation is to confirm the gift of the Spirit, re-enacting what happened at Pentecost. Wherever I go, I will speak more about the effects of the Holy Spirit, because I don’t think many people understand what the Holy Spirit is. Thank God that Pope John Paul II dedicated 1998 as the Year of the Holy Spirit, and we had a chance to reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit — what is this Holy Spirit? What does he do? Many people do not know.

Wherever I am, I will try and bring alive what the Church says about the Holy Spirit, as we find in 1 Corinthians — gifts of healing, of prophecy, miracles, discernment — and in the Letter to the Romans. There are so many gifts. More emphasis needs to be given to the gifts of the Spirit that make our Catholic faith not just a question of learning things in the head, which is also important, but as something that touches your heart and makes you excited and passionate. You must fall in love because your heart burns, and I believe that we need in our Church, more than anything else, people who are alive with hearts that are burning for their faith.

Also, the way we teach about Confirmation in our schools needs to be re-examined. In Life in the Spirit Seminars, we would have several weeks teaching about basic aspects of our faith, like God’s love, salvation, the life that Jesus Christ gives, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and what does it mean to be prayed over for renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit. These things lead to growth and community, and I believe these basic things need to be taught over and over again, not just for the kids, but also for parents.

How can you be a bishop for everybody?

What makes me a good bishop for everyone is this deep conviction of Jesus Christ within, that personal relationship. I am very grateful that a parish priest, Fr Tom White, prayed over me, because through that prayer, somehow, whatever I knew about God become real in a most incredible way. I just felt it, and I knew it in my heart.

Certainly, I have to be of service to everybody, but I have to acknowledge that what I have received has come through the spirituality of Catholic Charismatic Renewal. After all, Charismatic Renewal is at the heart of the Church. Pope John Paul II affirms it, encourages it and says it is a grace for the church.

I am sure I will keep in touch through Healing Masses, retreats, speaking at conferences, and perhaps Renewal Days. I would like to keep that contact, because I have received a lot, and it would be foolish of me not to continue to be nurtured through that source which has given me so much.