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THE BULLETIN, April 30, 1960—PAGE 3
‘‘The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the successor of St. Peter. The bishops
of the Catholic Church are the successors of the Apostles." In such simple, precise
and unpretentious language does the penny catechism speak one of the great truths
tof our Faith.
It remains to us to meditate upon these words, to use our reason, our memory
and, yes, our imagination to bring to ourselves what it means to us and to the world
'.that there are bishops, men possessed of the fullness of the priesthood, alive and at
.Work in the world today, functioning in the place of the Apostles.
In the great cities of today there are Apostles, gifted with rich spiritual powers
'by Christ Himself, trained, as the Apostles were, to think the thoughts of Christ,
to live the life of Christ, to rule in His name, to speak His message to the whole, flock
of Christ, Catholics, Protestants, Jews and even atheists. The busy world swirls around
them, but it cannot escape them any more than Jerusalem could escape James or
Rome escape Paul.
In rural areas of the world, and in the missions, there are these same Apostles
faced with the same tasks as Thomas, to carry Christ across the rivers, and the
forests, and the fields.
The Apostles died, but they are not dead. Their voices were silenced, but they
\speak on forever. Their hands were stilled, but they are busy yet performing the
Words of Christ. In them Christ remains, yesterday, today, and forever.
—ANON
, ... . . .'
The Most Rev. Edigio Vagnozzi, PhD., S.T.D., J.C.D., Apostolic Delegate to
the United States, was the installing prelate at the installation of Bishop Thomas J.
McDonough as tenth Bishop of Savannah, April 21th.
Archbishop Vagnozzi ivas born in Rome, February 2, 1906., and studied at the
Roman Seminary where he received three doctorates: in Philosophy. Sacred 1 hcology,
and Canon Law. He was appointed an official of the Papal Secretariate of State in
November, 1930, and served in that capacity until August, 1932., when he was
named to the Apostolic .Delegation in Washington as Secretary.
After three years in this post, he was made Auditor of the Delegation, and later
Counselor.
In May, 1942, he was named Counselor of the Papal Nunciature at Lisbon,
youngest Counselor (36 years of age) in the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
Monsignor Vagnozzi held a similar post in Paris.
He leas stationed in Rome at the beginning of 1948. when he was named Coun
selor of the Apostolic Delegation in the Last Indies. He served as Papal Envoy to
Ceylon in the winter of 1948, and later teas Charge d’ Affaires at A'ew Delhi.
At the Consistory, of March 14, 1949, Monsignor was named Titular Arch
bishop of Mira, and appointed Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines. Enroute to his
new post, at that ime Archbishop Vagnozzi visited the United States where he was
the truest of His Eminence. Francis Cardinal Spellman during his stay in New York.
In Washington he was Co-Consccrator, at The Catholic University of America, for
Archbishop Francesco Lai done, long a member of the faculty, who had been named
Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti and Santo Domingo.
In April, 1951, when the Philippine Republic established permanent, diplomatic
relations with the Holy See, the Apostolic Delegation in Manila was raised to the
rank of Nunciature, and Archbishop Vagnozzi was named Apostolic Nuncio. He
remained in that position until his appointment, as Apostolic Delegate to the United
States.