www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall How are new bishops selected?

Does anyone know of the process to select the new bishops?

Did members of the clergy of the Metropolia vote?
Did the current bishops vote? or indicate their preferences?

Please let us not get into whether or not he should have appointed them.

Didn't the post on the new Bishops say the pope picked them?
Many year's to the newly elected Bishops!

My understanding is that the autonomous church chooses some names (3 or so) and a favorite among them. Unless there is some problem with their choice the church agrees with them and the appointment is made.

It depends which Church you are talking about.

In the Latin Church it is an incredibly long complex and secretive process. Here is my speculation about how it happens. I don't think anyone is exactly sure except current bishops and members of the Congregation and they don't talk about it, but it is what I can piece together from different conversations and personal inquiries that I have done.

It begins in each country with interviews at a local level for candidates nominated by the current bishops.

Then the nominations travel up to the nuncio who has a chance to go over the material collected.

The names are then sent to Rome to the Congregation for Bishops where they are debated again.

Three names are given to the pope and he chooses one of them or rejects them and the whole process starts over.

LGC:

On the official sites for the Metropolia, the process of selecting new bishops is spelled out.

BOB

Question for Bob-- Can you provide the link? I looked but was not successful.


Question for Byzantine- TX---But who in the church make up the listing of names? Is it the Bishops and the Metropolitan or is it the clergy? Or is it a committee?

Do they have a special meeting

Thank you for your patience

Good questions all.

I dislike the current methods of choosing bishops. On the other hand, I've often passed the time (on long plane flights and during similar periods of unavoidable delay) contemplating possible better methods - and I've yet to come up with anything that would be particularly likely to do much better. Prediction: in general, the choosing of bishops will become harder, because in some countries (such as the USA) it is becoming increasingly difficult to find willing and reasonably qualified candidates (stop laughing and think about it - it's true).

Fr. Serge

Father,

Any thoughts on a resolution? Retooling of the seminaries? Consolidation of seminaries?

LGC:

The site has changed and I can't find the link anymore. It used to be on the official website of the Byzantine Catholic Church in America, but the site seems to have disappeared and the links to the eparchies simply folded into this site.

Maybe the Administrator can help here. John?

BOB

From the CCEO:

Title 6: Metropolitan Churches and Other Churches Sui Iuris

Canon 168

With regard to the appointment of the metropolitan and bishops,
for each case the council of hierarchs is to compose a list of at
least three of the more suitable candidates and send the list to
the Apostolic See, observing secrecy even toward the candidates;

in order to compile the list, the members of the council of hierarchs, if they judge it to be expedient, can seek the opinion of certain presbyters or other Christian faithful outstanding in wisdom concerning the needs of the Church and the special talents of a person required for the episcopate.