Meditation

Blessed Andrew Hyacinth Longhin

The Humility to Lead

It's very rare that a Capuchin friar is made a bishop in the Catholic Church, but every once in a while God calls a faithful follower of Saint Francis to step into this position. Such a friar was Andrew Hyacinth Longhin.

The role of bishop is a very special one. He is a priest elevated to the realm of "Prince of the Church" and, as such, is the shepherd of his diocese, a dignitary, a diplomat, and a regional representative of the Holy Father. He must be well versed in scripture, Church teaching, doctrine, and canon law. He must work well with businessmen and politicians, both Catholic and non-Catholic. He must ensure the proper education, training, and supervision of his priests; but, above all, he is responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of every Catholic in his diocese.

This is not the usual calling of a simple Capuchin friar. Saint Francis instructed his friars to be "humble Little Brothers" but, sometimes, even a "Little Brother" must be humble enough to lead.

Andrew Longhin was a gifted man—a Capuchin at 16, ordained by 23, a seminary teacher by 26, and Director of Theology Students before he was 30. By 40 he was made Provincial of the community in Venice, making him the guardian of all the friars in the surrounding area. Despite these achievements, Andrew steadfastly maintained his humility.

Humility is an essential aspect of the Capuchin way of life. For them it is a quality that leads not to downheartedness but rather to the joyful confidence that comes from humbly accepting help from God and others while, at the same time, humbly being of service to God and others. This "two-way-street" of humility—giving and receiving, serving and being served—helps the Capuchin remember his place in God's order. He must be a dependent child of God and a dependable brother to all. Andrew's humility and sense of balance brought him to the attention of Pope Pius X, who was in need of a new bishop for Treviso, Italy.

Since Saint Francis called his friars to be wandering preachers, Andrew spent his first five years as bishop traveling the diocese, visiting every town, praying in every church, and preaching the Gospel among the people. He listened to people, heard their stories, shared their concerns, and assessed how he could help them live happier, holier lives and grow closer to God.

Based on what he learned, he reformed the seminary, improving the academic education of the priests and deepening their spiritual lives though regular retreats. He asked lay groups to work with him on issues of social justice and mercy, and he helped them to unionize for better working conditions. True to his Capuchin spirit, he became a bishop among the people, not above the people.

When the First World War decimated Treviso, Andrew remained in the city and stayed close to the people, insisting his priests do the same. He cared for the wounded, buried the dead, and comforted the survivors, all the while refusing to take sides in the battle—a stance for which he was temporarily imprisoned.

After the war, Andrew set about rebuilding the nearly 50 parishes that had been devastated both physically and emotionally. He continued promoting social justice and helping people see issues through the lens of Catholic teaching, always insisting that any reform must be based on sound moral reasoning and must be achieved through non-violent methods. Solutions that were not moral were no solutions at all.

His ability to seek new solutions while staying faithful to moral principles inspired Pius X to enlist Andrew's help with a growing number of priests and bishops who were resisting changes Pius X was trying to bring about in the Church. Pius X believed that the Church needed both reform and a return to orthodoxy: the basic truths of the faith had to be upheld, but they also needed to be taught and expressed more clearly and more accessibly. This put the Pontiff at odds with traditionalists who wanted no change at all, and with modernists who wanted changes to even basic dogma and doctrine. Andrew's humility again served him well. It allowed him to listen to all sides respectfully, regardless of what anyone on either side might think of him personally, which freed him to simply speak the truth and assess things objectively. In this way, he served as a counselor, mediator, teacher, and guide, always trusting that truth and God's wisdom would prevail.

As bishop, many issues came before Andrew—terrible, vexing questions with great social consequences. He approached each problem with this same humble submission to moral law. No solution to a social ill, no matter how well-intentioned it might be, could be allowed to supersede basic moral teaching. His humble submission to this concept allowed Andrew to lead his diocese safely and steadily, not based on his own personal feelings, intuitions, or insights, but rather on the knowledge and experience of those who had come before him, and whose understandings had been synthesized into a collective wisdom. The proof of the efficacy of his humble approach to leadership was expressed by Pope John Paul II when he noted, upon beatifying the friar, that because of Andrew's "courageous pastoral leadership... the church of Treviso, in that period of its history, has produced numerous saints among the priests, religious and laity."—a legacy that would honor any bishop or Capuchin friar.