On a bright and sunny St Peter's morning, Irishman Diarmuid Martin was yesterday ordained Titular Bishop of Glendalough by Pope John Paul II during a three-hour ceremony in the Basilica of St Peter.
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists mingled with the congregation of some 8,000 in St Peter's while many Roman families took advantage of the fine weather and the traditional Epiphany national holiday to stroll through St Peter's Square to the accompaniment of Gregorian chants.
Pope John Paul looked weary and frail as he struggled up to the central altar to begin the ceremony, but he seemed to gather strength as it progressed. His speech was sometimes slurred, but, leaning heavily on his crosier with his eyes often closed, the Pope nonetheless conducted the three-hour ordination and Mass without any real difficulties.
Addressing Bishop Martin and the eight other bishops and archbishops ordained alongside him - three Italians, two Spaniards, one Indian, one Vietnamese and one French man - the Pope said: "All the gospels speak of the light of Christ, of that light that was lit on the Holy Night, the same light which guided the shepherds to the manger in Bethlehem and which, on the day of Epiphany, guided the three Wise Men from the East . . . Epiphany celebrates the appearance in the world of the Divine Light with which God contrasted the weak light of human reason . . .
"Following in an important tradition, the Bishop of Rome, on the occasion of the Epiphany, confers the episcopal ordination on a number of prelates, and today it gives me great joy to consecrate you, dearest brothers, in the fullness of the priesthood, making you ministers of the Epiphany of God among men. To each one of you is given a special set of tasks and responsibilities, different from one another, but all intended to spread the Gospel of Salvation among men."
Dublin-born Bishop Martin (53) has served in the Vatican since 1977, first with the Council for the Family and since 1985 as Under-Secretary and then Secretary at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. His appointment to a titular seat - he chose the title Glendalough himself for its importance in both Irish history and in early Irish church affairs - is an indication that he will continue his work in the Roman Curia.
Speaking at a reception in the Teutonic College, beside St Peter's, after the ordination ceremony, Bishop Martin told The Irish Times: "I am very pleased and grateful that the Archbishop of Dublin was here today. Dublin is where I come from and where I belong, even if I've been here a long time and even if this is where I will be staying."
Among the attendance of more than 8,000 in the Basilica were the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, Cardinal Cahal Daly and Bishop Eamonn Walsh, as well as the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, Mr Eamon O'Toole, and a number of Bishop Martin's relatives.