In a novel manner that demonstrates a shepherd whose sheep are dear to his heart, the Archbishop of Glasgow, Most Rev. William Nolan who preferred a ceremony attended by his flock has finally received his pallium in a colorful ceremony held, Saturday at the 206-year-old St. Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral.
I’ll Smell like the Sheep
Delivering his homily at the occasion which had bishops from the different dioceses under the Archdiocese of Glasgow, 25 priests, and lay faithful from different parts of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Nolan expressed gratitude while noting that the reception of the pallium reminds him to “smell like the sheep.”
According to the celebrant, the pallium is a reminder that he would carry the sheep on his shoulders and care for them too.
Archbishop Nolan maintained that the bishop cannot work alone which is why “like the mosaic at the entrance of the Church, we must work together as a Church.”
Citing the first reading from the letter of St. Paul to Ephesians 4:7-16, he stressed that while some are called to be teachers, others are Apostles which demonstrates that each one of us has something to do for God.
The prelate Archbishop used the occasion to thank everyone who contributed to making the event the success that it.
The Occasion Connects Glasgow to Rome
Speaking earlier, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti who conferred the pallium on Archbishop Nolan on behalf of the Holy Father, Pope Francis disclosed that it gives the bishop the power of a Metropolitan to look after the flock entrusted to his care.
The pope’s representative charged the recipient to be a shepherd after the heart of Christ who “smells like the sheep.”
He further explained that the pallium is a sign of authority made from the wool of the shepherd noting that it connects with the mother Church in Rome, which is why it stays overnight in the tomb of Peter and is tied to the ministry of the pope.
Archbishop Gugerotti stated that today is the memorial of Pope St. John Paul II who ordained me 20 years as a bishop, and I am here conferring the pallium in the name of Francis which shows continuity in the Church.
First Ceremony held in Glasgow Cathedral 206 Years after
The event is “the first such ceremony to be held in Glasgow” the Archdiocese had said on its social media handle.
Recall that the first and second Archbishops, Mario Joseph Conti and Philip Tartaglia were conferred with the Pallium in Rome.
Most Rev. William Nolan preferred a ceremony attended by his flock that the occasion holds at St. Andrew’s which was founded in 1792 as a parish and opened as a Church in 1816.
The Church which holds the relic, and bones, of St. Andrew, the patron of Scotland is located in the heartland of Glasgow City and overlooks river Clyde.
Cathedral of St. Andrew often simply referred to as St. Andrews Cathedral is the center of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland as the sea of the Archdiocese of St. Andrews as well as the Bishops and Archbishops of St. Andrews.
The gothic Cathedral fell out of use after the celebration of the Catholic Holy Mass was outlawed during the Scottish Reformation which took place in the 16th century.
Today, St. Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral is a monument under the Historic Environment Scotland which attracts tourists from all over the world to the timeless ecclesiastical edifice.
Described as the largest Church ever built in Scotland, its ruins indicate that the building was about 119 m (390 ft) long.
Significance of the Pallium
The pallium is a collar of white wool which signifies the authority of a Metropolitan Archbishop as one who serves his brother Bishops as one among equals.
Since the sixth century, the pallium – a narrow woolen scarf worn around the shoulders is conferred by the Pope on bishops of the Latin Church especially Metropolitan Archbishops as a symbol of their larger jurisdiction.
Fr. Dyikuk, a Catholic priest from Bauchi Diocese Nigeria wrote in from St. Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral House Glasgow, Scotland where he is resident as a student priest pursuing a PhD at University of Strathclyde UK.
