Wednesday, April 30, 2008

An FYI

Looking over the Diocese of Lansing's website as the installed their new bishop: Bishop Earl Boyea, yesterday, I found a good, concise, explanation on the steps involved in the selection of a bishop for a diocese. Considering we are approaching this process in this diocese, it seemed prudent to shate.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's great to see those guidelines in print. Does your diocese have such guidelines available for viewing. If so, where? And, if not, why not? Thanks!

Father Schnippel said...

Generally, it is the same process regardless of the diocese. I have a feeling that Lansing published it in this way just because they got tired of answering the question.

I would imagine that the reason we do not have it published in Cincinnati is that we are not yet officially in a period of transition.

Anonymous said...

I know that Archbishop P. is approaching retirement age, and I assumed that is why you made the post. I've wondered about the vacancy created by retirement of Bishop M. Would the same guidelines apply, or how is that handled? It seems like his retirement was announced some time ago.

Thanks!

Father Schnippel said...

For Auxiliary Bishops

• A diocesan bishop must justify to the Apostolic Nuncio his need for an auxiliary bishop. This is easier if he is requesting a replacement for a retired or deceased auxiliary.

• The diocesan bishop prepares the terna, or list of three candidates, for his requested auxiliary and forwards it to the Apostolic Nuncio.

• The Nuncio then conducts his own investigation of the priests on the diocesan bishop’s terna, sending the names to Rome with a report and his own recommendations.

uncle jim said...

I was a member of the parish at which Fr. Boyea served as an associate for his first assignment after ordination.

I was job-transferred to another state during that first year, and he left shortly after I did and he headed to Rome. His resume suggests some very limited parish experience after that first one - more academic than pastoral. Perhaps his path was already then being prepared.

I confess to our last conversation before I left the parish having been not as amicable as it could have been - but, then , people sometimes disagree. Although he had come to our house for dinner a couple of times.