The members of the Synod on Synodality recognized that this is a problem and in their final document expressed the desire "that the People of God have a greater voice in choosing bishops."

Current process

The current selection process is centralized in the Vatican, giving the pope ultimate authority in the process.

It begins with the bishops of a province drawing up a list of priests they think could be candidates for the episcopacy.

These names are given to the nuncio, the pope's representative in a country, who is responsible for drawing up a terna, a list of three candidates for a vacant see.

He can nominate someone outside of these lists if he wants.

The nuncio writes a report on each candidate using any source available, including a confidential questionnaire that he sends to selected clergy and laypeople who know the candidate.

This questionnaire, which has been revised in different papacies, was secret until I first published it in America magazine in 1984.

Normally, the nuncio also asks the opinion of the bishops of the province as well as officers of the bishops' conference and other important prelates in the country.

The nuncio writes a report describing the diocese needing a new bishop.

Pio Laghi, the pope's representative to the United States from 1980-1990, compared the process to an architect trying to find a statue of a saint to fit a niche in a cathedral.

For example, if the diocese had been rocked by sexual abuse, they would look for someone who has credibility in dealing with abuse.

If the diocese was in financial straits, they would look for a fundraiser with financial skills. If the diocese was divided, they would look for a peacemaker.

Papal criteria

Each pope also has criteria that he wants the nuncio to look for in candidates.

Prior to the Second Vatican Council, many complained that the American bishops were more like bankers and builders than pastors. Paul VI wanted more pastoral bishops. John Paul II stressed the importance of unity with and loyalty to the papacy.

Pope Francis wants bishops who are pastoral and close to the poor, "shepherds who smell like their sheep."

The terna and reports are sent to the Dicastery for Bishops, where they are examined by the staff and submitted to the committee of cardinals and bishops in charge of the dicastery.

If they don't like the candidates, the nuncio is asked to submit another list.

Ultimately, the committee votes on the candidates and submits its recommendation to the pope, who can accept or reject their suggestion.

There is very little room in the process for input from the clergy and laity of the diocese, except for the individuals who are sent questionnaires by the nuncio.

The process does allow for consulting the local church about the needs of the diocese and the type of bishop needed, but people usually want Jesus Christ with an MBA from Harvard, and he is not available.

Under the current rules, there can be no public discussion of names, either for or against. The Vatican believes any public discussion of candidates would be divisive and lead to factions supporting and opposing candidates.

The central role of the pope in the selection of bishops is a modern phenomenon. In the early church, when a bishop died, the people would gather in the cathedral and choose a new bishop, who could be a priest or layman.

Eventually, the suffrage was limited to the clergy or a part of the clergy, for example, the cathedral chapter.

But this did not necessarily eliminate the laity from the process. Pope Leo the Great in the fifth century believed a true bishop should be elected by the clergy, accepted by the people and ordained by the bishops of the surrounding dioceses.

Sadly, as the church grew rich and powerful, kings and nobles interfered in the process through threats or bribery. With the destruction of the monarchies in the 19th century, reformers saw the papacy as the institution that would appoint bishops who would serve the good of the church rather than the political ends of the state.

Electing bishops

Today, reformers would like to see the church return to the more ancient practice of electing bishops at the local level, either by the laity or the clergy.

While this might work in democratic countries that respect the independence of the church, history warns us that political elites and dictators would likely interfere in the elections.

In addition, the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president should make progressives pause before they democratize the church. Democracy is not infallible.

The Synod on Synodality is inviting us to a conversation about how to give the people a greater voice in the selection of bishops. This conversation should be done in a synodal fashion where we listen to all voices in determining where the Spirit is leading us today.

Diocesan consultative bodies (presbyteral councils, pastoral councils, synods) should be given a role since they are representative of the laity and priests. Could they nominate candidates or be given a consultative vote on the terna prepared by the nuncio? Should such participation be public or confidential?

The Catholic Church could also learn from other churches that use different methods of choosing their leaders.

All this discussion could lead to the development of several models of selecting bishops that could be tested in various situations at the discretion of a nuncio.

History shows us that bishops have been selected in many ways over the centuries, and each way had its problems. There is no perfect way of selecting bishops. Even Jesus got it wrong one out of 12 times.

Pope Leo was wise in proposing a system of checks and balances that involved the clergy, laity and the college of bishops. It is time to experiment with new ways of selecting bishops so "that the People of God have a greater voice in choosing bishops."

• First published by RNS
• The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest, is a Senior Analyst at RNS.

Nearly 70 percent or about 3 million of the total 4.3 million population of this underdeveloped province are Christians. Around 675,000 are Catholics. Additionally, there are around 90,000 Catholics in West Papua out of a total of 1.1 million inhabitants.

Catholics in Papua live in the dioceses of Jayapura, Timika, Manokwari-Sorong, Agats-Asmat, and the archdiocese of Merauke. Among these five, Jayapura diocese is the oldest.

Over the last several years, especially since Franciscan Bishop Leo Laba Lajar turned 75 four years ago, Catholics in Jayapura diocese have appealed to the Vatican via Indonesian bishops to appoint a native Papuan. A similar appeal came from Timika Catholics after the death of Bishop John Philip Saklil in 2019.

The Vatican recently granted Jayapura's request by appointing Father Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai You, 61, to replace Bishop Ladjar.

Bishop You's appointment is not just good news for Papua Catholics. It elevates their cultural identity that has been underestimated for decades and also shows recognition of the maturity of the faith of local people who embraced Christianity over a century ago.

The Catholic mission in Papua began in 1894 when two Jesuit missionaries arrived in the area now known as Fakfak. Soon, the territory was handed over to Sacred Heart Missionaries (MSC) who in the early 1900s sent a group to work among Papuans. Later, Franciscan missionaries joined them.

In 1949, a more structured Catholic Church began with the establishment of the Prefecture Apostolic of Hollandia, which later became Jayapura diocese.

Not having a local as their bishop was a big concern for Papuans who have lived for decades under the shadow of violence.

Poverty, brutality and discrimination since Papua was annexed nearly 60 years ago forced them to look for some kind of recognition, which was hard to obtain from the Indonesian government.

Their only hope was the Catholic Church. But for many Papuans, the Church was "near yet far."

They felt as if the Indonesian bishops had abandoned them and developed distrust in the hierarchy.

Retired Franciscan Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar (left) of Jayapura Diocese in Indonesia's Papua province announces the name of Father Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai You (right) as his successor

Last year, Catholics in Papua even issued a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the five bishops in Papua and the Indonesian Bishops' Conference in general. They demanded that all bishops in their region be replaced by native Papuans who would know better the geographical, anthropological and social dynamics of Papuan life.

It became a serious issue with disappointment in the Catholic Church having grown sharply.

Now, their wish has come true. But is having a native Papuan bishop the ultimate goal? Is there any difference between having a native and non-native Papuan prelate?

Bishop You may be the first ethnic Papuan bishop but a taste of what it's like to have a "Papuan" bishop came in the form of Bishop John Philip Saklil of Timika. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II when Timika diocese separated from Jayapura.

Bishop Saklil was born in Papua, but since his parents came from Maluku, he was not considered a native bishop.

His siding with the people, even openly opposing Indonesian corporations encroaching in Papuan forests, earned him their love.

Papuans want other bishops in the region to act bravely. Will Bishop You be able to meet people's expectations? Only time will tell.

Catholics in Jayapura diocese recognize the new bishop as someone who has been faithful and committed to serving the people.

Ordained a priest in 1991 after completing four-year training at the Fajar Timur Institute of Philosophy and Theology, where he is currently the president, Bishop You has served Papuan Catholics in different parishes.

Having a doctorate in anthropology from a Papuan university, he is believed to be the right person to assume the role of bishop. He knows the struggle of the people.

This doesn't mean non-native Papuan bishops are not good shepherds.

Papua's situation is more complex than in any other part of the country. Bishop You's appointment narrows the gap between Papua-born Catholics and outsiders.

The appointment of an indigenous Papuan as bishop gives a strong signal that the Universal Church is listening to them. It shows that the Catholic Church recognizes Papua to be part of the Universal Church.

The impact of that is tremendous. Amidst people's helplessness in the face of uncertainty, due to decades of intimidation, discrimination and violence, the Catholic Church hasn't abandoned them.

It's important for Papuans that the Church stands by its people. It's believed that this will help restore people's trust in the clergy.

The presence of native Papuan bishops can rebuild the shattered hopes of Papuan Catholics who feel the dominating presence of people and clergy from outside Papua.

It's certainly not the case that this means Catholics are also pushing for Papua to separate from Indonesia.

They want a native Papuan bishop, not for political purposes nor to support independence. They simply want a Church that is increasingly rooted in Papuan culture.

They just want a leader who understands their situation and life struggles.

Though not the largest or wealthiest diocese, its archbishop is often the most politically well-connected cleric in the United States.

All that changed when its former archbishop, Theodore McCarrick, was revealed to be a serial sex abuser.

Then, accusations of complicity began to pile up against his successor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

On September 12, his spokesman said he would travel to Rome and ask Pope Francis to accept his resignation.

There is much speculation about who will succeed him, but the consensus is that Archbishop of Washington isn't the cushy job it once seemed.

Indeed, being a bishop suddenly seems less desirable.

The fallout from the McCarrick is threatening to bring whole dioceses crashing down.

This scandal first erupted on June 20, when the Archdiocese of New York announced that "credible and substantiated" claims had been levelled against McCarrick dating back to 1961 while he was a priest of the archdiocese.

The archdiocese issued a press release, calling it "the first such report of a violation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People ever made against [McCarrick] of which the archdiocese was aware".

The wording of this statement raised eyebrows: the archdiocese did not say whether allegations had been made by men old enough to legally consent.

New York's powerful archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, made matters worse by saying Wuerl shouldn't resign.

Dolan called him a "good friend" and "tremendous leader", and suggested he was being judged too harshly by the laity.

The laity, in turn, were outraged.

Some of Dolan's conservative critics accused him of being beholden to the so-called "lavender mafia", also citing his decision to allow gay pride groups to march in New York's 2015 St Patrick's Day Parade.

The Archdiocese of Chicago, too, is becoming ungovernable.

In his "testimony", Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò claims its leader, Cardinal Blase Cupich, was appointed at McCarrick's and Wuerl's behest.

Viganò also accused Cupich of being too close to the LGBT rights movement. Evidently, some of the faithful in Chicago have similar concerns about the city's Catholic establishment: last week, parishioners at Resurrection parish burned a rainbow banner that the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin hung behind the altar before the parish's 1991 inaugural Mass.

As the Vatican and its allies struggle to regain control of these major dioceses, the question of who succeeds Wuerl is not the most pressing concern.

We should ask instead which bishops will replace Wuerl as a figurehead in US Catholicism.

Two candidates are Archbishops José Gómez of Los Angeles and Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.

Both were appointed by Pope Benedict in 2011.

They preside over two of the largest dioceses in the country: the first and sixth, respectively.

Gómez is also the vice president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and is expected to assume the helm when its current president, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, steps down next year.

Had Benedict's papacy run its natural course, both men would almost certainly have been appointed to the College of Cardinals by the end of 2014.

Instead, Pope Francis has pointedly refused to elevate either of them.

Many believe Gómez and Chaput are too conservative for the pontiff's tastes.

Indeed, Viganò claims Francis told him the American bishops "must not be ideologised, they must not be right-wing like the Archbishop of Philadelphia" during their first meeting after Francis's election.

Instead, the Holy Father promoted theologically progressive bishops like Cupich and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, first to major dioceses and then to the College of Cardinals - effectively creating a "Francis Party" within the USCCB.

Today, membership of the Francis Party is less a badge of honour than a bullseye.

Having been snubbed by Francis has, in fact, boosted Gómez's and Chaput's reputations in some circles. Continue reading

• Image: CNS

They want the "foreign" bishop to be replaced by a native-born Papuan priest.

Lega was born on Flores Island in Nusa Tenggara Timur, the southernmost province of Indonesia.

The anger allegedly stems from a dispute between two priests that turned into an ethnic feud.

The diocese does not seem willing to confirm this.

A lay Catholic in the diocese who asked for anonymity told ucanews.com that the problems began in April when diocesan treasurer Father Rudy Renyaan — a Papuan — threatened to kill Father Paul Tan an ethnic Chinese priest over a financial dispute.

The death threat resulted in the Papuan receiving a 13-month prison sentence.

Renyaan is currently in Sorong prison, while Tan has been transferred to Jayapura Diocese, in neighbouring Papua province.

Hundreds of Catholics took to the streets of Sorong in Manokwari-Sorong diocese on Sept. 12, to demand Lega's the resignation.

Some 250 police were deployed to monitor the protest, which passed off peacefully.

The protesters accused Lega of being arrogant, discriminatory and unable to solve problems affecting the diocese.

In a statement read out during the rally, Lega was also accused of not respecting indigenous Papuan priests.

"He is not a good and right leader of Catholics.

He is not a true shepherd according to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church," the statement said.

Diocesan officials, however, denied the accusations, saying everything was fine.

In a statement received by ucanews.com, several priests in the diocese defended Lega, saying there were no problems between the bishop and his priests and that the protesters were small in number.

The priests also called on other Catholics in the diocese to remain united and not be easily provoked."Let us not let ourselves be consumed by false information and spread false rumours," they said.

Source

• ucanews.com
• Image: ucanews.com Frans Michael

The involved and legal process to determine a new Bishop for the city began after Victoria Matthews stood down from the role in May. Continue reading

After all the public land records show Diocese has $320 million "empire" of cash and properties.

Why not, for example sell the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo to help fund the rebuild?

But a diocese, Anglican or Catholic, is not the monolith it may appear to be from the outside. Parishes are not just local branches of a diocese.

Each parish owns its own property. The Bishop does not exercise CEO-like authority in these matters.

A spokesperson for Anglican Diocese of Christchurch has pointed that the land and investments are the property of individual parishes and are held "on trust" for those parishes.

A parish's assets cannot be spent outside each individual parish.

"The CPT (Church Property Trust) is the holding body for all the [parish] trusts," said the spokesperson.

"You can't take money from Papanui, for example, to pay central."

In a letter sent to all Anglicans in the diocese Bishop Victoria Matthews reminded them the CPT has no equity of its own.

"This week a senior reporter of The Press has made it his business to investigate CPT investments."

"There is the suggestion that on Saturday The Press newspaper will have a story about the Church Property Trustees and how we could use our funds to reinstate the Cathedral in the Square."

"I write to you at this time to simply remind you that we do hold land and Investments but that these are for parish and diocesan ministry and mission. CPT has no equity of its own."

The Christchurch Anglican diocese's finances have come under scrutiny as it negotiates with the Government over how to fund the $100m Christ Church Cathedral restoration.

The CPT has a $42m insurance payout on the cathedral to spend on the restoration, while campaign group Great Christchurch Buildings Trust (GCBT) has pledged to raise $15m from donors and about $10m has been offered by the Government.

Matthews is concerned it may prove difficult to raise money for the $30m funding shortfall on the project

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

Just who should be entitled to choose bishops has been a stumbling block between the Vatican and mainland China since 1951.

Cardinal John Tong, who is the head of the Catholic church in Hong Kong, said a "preliminary consensus has reportedly been reached" on the matter.

He believes the consensus negotiated will enable the Pope to retain veto power over the ordination of mainland Chinese bishops under the new arrangement.

Beijing has always insisted a party-controlled body have the authority to appoint Chinese bishops.

The Holy See says this power belongs to the Pope alone.

A number of government-backed bishops have been ordained in past years without the pope's approval, straining ties between Rome and Beijing.

Pope Francis has repeatedly made clear his desire for rapprochement with Beijing.

Mainland China's head of religious affairs, Wang Zuo'an, said in December that Beijing was open to constructive dialogue with the Vatican.

However, he said it would only be open if China's Catholics "hold up high the flag of patriotism" and adapt Catholicism to Chinese society.

The community of as many as 12 million mainland Catholics is split between those who follow state-authorized churches outside the pope's authority and those who attend underground churches that swear fealty to the pope " sometimes at the risk of persecution.

Source

• NZ Herald
• Quartz
• Image: UCA News

"I've been skiing since 1974," Deeley said. "If you live in New England, especially on a day like today, what could be more beautiful?"

"It gives me a nice chance to talk to the kids about nature as God's gift to us, and talk to them about themselves in nature." Continue reading

And on the same weekend the Anglicans will consecrate the fifth bishop of Temotu (Santa Cruz).

Archbishop, Christopher Cardone was appointed the Catholic archbishop of Honiara in June.

The Chairman of the Installation Committee of Holy Cross Parish, Mr. Aloysius Po'oina has confirmed that the festivities to welcome Cardone will start on Friday 9th September.

The installation will take place on Saturday 10th September.

Cardone succeeds Archbishop Adrian Thomas Smith.

A native of Long Island, New York Cardone has been the bishop of Auki, in the Solomon Islands, since 2004.

Anglican bishop-elect, Father Leonard Dawea will be consecrated on 11th September.

Dawea, 44, succeeds the Most Reverend George Takeli who was enthroned and installed as the archbishop of the Anglican Church of Melanesia and bishop of the diocese of Central Melanesia in April this year.

He is currently serving as the Diocesan Secretary to the Diocese of Temotu, a post he has held since 2015.

Dawea holds a Bachelor of Theology with Honours from the University College of Chester, now Chester University, in the United Kingdom.

He comes from Malubu Village in the Reef Islands, Temotu Province.

He is married to Mrs Dorah Dawea of Guadalcanal and they have two children.

Prior to joining the Anglican priesthood, Dawea was a member of the Church's Melanesian Brotherhood for twelve years.

Source

• sibconline.com.sb
• abmission.org
• www.opeast.org
• Image: google.co.nz and google.co.nz

The Hamilton diocese covers the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Cape and King Country.

"I have a love for the rural areas, both the people and the countryside," Lowe told Waikato Times reporter Chris Gardner.

"It's harder to be a Christian in a rural area."

"Everyone in the community knows everyone else's business and it makes it more of a challenge to go along to church on a Sunday."

Gardner says, "Lowe comes across as a gentle, warm, man, who is not big on pomp and ceremony."

"People call him Bishop Steve, or just Steve."

"If I am not a good man as Steve, I am not going to be a good man as Bishop Steve," Lowe says.

"I remember when I was ordained a priest I was walking down the aisle thinking 'Lord, I don't believe it, I am a priest'.

I was walking down the aisle in Hamilton thinking 'Lord, I am a bishop. How did that happen?'"

Lowe says he feel as if he has been hit by a "tsunami of names and faces."

There are 35 parishes in the Hamilton diocese.

By the end of the year he hopes to have visited each one of them.

He says he has a really good relationship with Anglican Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley but he hasn't, yet, met other denominational church leaders.

And while he continues to "meet and greet" the people and to hear what everybody is thinking, the Bishop already has a number of concerns that he wishes to address:

• To be able to speak Te Reo Maori, but he says it is quite a challenge.
• To look into Maori spirituality, which he tinks has a lot to offer.
• To help the huge amount of people in need.
• To continue to provide ministry to the rural areas.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: FaceBook

In 1903 Bonaventure Finbarr Francis Broderick, at the early age of 34, had been appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana by Pope Pius X.

Two years later he resigned after a misunderstanding with the Pope and the Vatican over the collection of some funds.

The Holy See assigned him a pension of $100 per month but without any episcopal appointment.

To sustain himself, Broderick spent the next 34 years selling car parts and petrol in Millbrook, a town which is about 80 miles from New York.

Then, while doing some archdiocesan business in Millbrook the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, Francis Spellman, came across Broderick.

In November 1939, the Vatican asked Spellman to rehabilitate Broderick and Spellman complied.

Broderick resumed his life as a Bishop and was made a chaplain of a hospital in Riverdale, New York.

He passed away on Thursday, November 18, 1943, in the morning, aged 74.

In his will he left Archbishop Spellman his pectoral cross, its chains, his episcopal ring and crosier. Read more