The Pope took this and a number of issues off the agenda because he wanted the synod to focus on synodality and not be distracted by controversial and complicated issues.

Discussions about bishops

The Synod on Synodality is meeting in Rome during October, with bishops and lay people discussing how to make the Church more transparent and accountable and less clerical.

They are looking for ways to encourage respectful listening in the Church so Catholics can discern together where the Spirit is leading the Church.

The delegates, however, understand that synodality will not happen unless it is supported by bishops in their dioceses.

Too many bishops see synodality as a threat to their authority or simply a waste of their time. The transparency, listening and accountability required of synodality are time-consuming and don't allow bishops to do whatever they want.

A debated issue

The selection of bishops has been a debated issue since apostolic times. There is no perfect way to select bishops. Every procedure has its plusses and minuses.

In earliest times, the process was very democratic. When a bishop died, the faithful would gather in the cathedral, look around and ask, "Who will be our leader?"

In ideal circumstances, the people reached consensus in their choice of leader. But if there was no consensus, factions formed to support different candidates. That is an inevitable result of democracy.

Too often, in the early days of the Church, divisions in the community led to disagreements that became violent. In 217, pagan soldiers had to break up public brawls among the Christians in Rome fighting over who would be their bishop.

The soldiers arrested both candidates (Callixtus and Hippolytus) and sent them to the tin mines of Sardinia.

Eventually, to avoid the laity fighting over who would be bishop, the electorate was limited to the clergy or part of the clergy, for example, the cathedral chapter.

Pope Leo I (440-461) said that to have a legitimate bishop, he had to be elected by the clergy, accepted by the people and consecrated by the bishops of the region.

The clergy would meet in the cathedral and elect someone. They would bring him out to the people and if they cheered, the clergy could present him to the regional bishops.

If the people booed, the clergy would have to try again. If the bishops of the region refused to ordain him a bishop, the clergy would need to find a new candidate.

This was a checks-and-balances system that would have been loved by the writers of the Federalist Papers.

As the Church got richer, interference in the selection of bishops by kings and nobles became common. They would use the threat of violence to force clergy to elect their candidate, who could be a relative or political supporter.

The papacy also gave kings the right to appoint bishops in exchange for political or financial support. In a few instances, the kings used their power to reform the Church, but the usual result was a very corrupt episcopacy, which prepared the Church for the Reformation.

The great reform of the 19th century was to take the appointment of bishops away from political leaders and give it to the pope, who would be more concerned about the welfare of the Church than government officials. This was possible because Napoleon had destroyed most of the Catholic monarchies.

Leaving the selection of bishops to the total discretion of the Pope led to its own problems when the Vatican placed its interests over the needs of the local church.

After the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI looked for pastoral candidates in the United States, especially ones who got along with their clergy. They contrasted with earlier bishops who were more like bankers and builders.

John Paul II, on the other hand, was shocked by the rejection of "Humanae Vitae," the 1968 encyclical forbidding artificial contraception, by many theologians and even some bishops.

As a result, he looked for candidates who as bishops would enforce his positions on Church issues. Benedict XVI continued John Paul's policies. Loyalty took precedence over pastoral qualities.

Francis is once again looking for pastoral bishops, especially ones who are close to the poor. He is more comfortable with discussion and debate in the Church.

The current selection process is highly dependent on the nuncio, the pope's representative to the local church and government of a country.

He presents three candidates for an open diocese to the Dicastery for Bishops along with a report on the diocese and a dossier on each candidate. He ranks them first, second and third choice.

The nuncio can consult with whomever he wants about the candidates, including bishops, clergy and lay people. He uses a confidential questionnaire to gather information on the candidates.

The Dicastery for Bishops makes a recommendation, which the prefect, or head of the dicastery, takes to the pope. The pope can choose one of the three candidates or tell the prefect to come back with a new list.

No public discussion of candidates is allowed under this system, which makes it difficult to have much lay involvement in the selection process.

The hierarchy fears that public disclosure of the names of the candidates would lead to lobbying efforts and divisive campaigns, but keeping the laity out of the process is an example of clericalism and contrary to synodality.

The people of the diocese can be publicly consulted on what type of person they want, but they are forbidden to mention names publicly. This consultation is rarely done today, although it was more common in the time of Paul VI.

The description of the ideal bishop by the laity in most dioceses was often unrealistic. As one observer noted, "They wanted Jesus Christ with an MBA from Harvard."

Synodality

Synodality demands there be more transparency and consultation with the laity about the appointment of bishops. The Catholic Church could also learn by studying how leaders are chosen in other denominations. If other Churches can successfully choose leaders in a more public process, why can't the Catholic Church?

Although in many parts of the world (like China), lay and clergy involvement would be exploited for political ends, there are places where the church is free to experiment with new methods.

For example, the nuncio could ask the diocesan priests' council to submit three names to him as candidates for bishop. Or he could share the names of his three candidates with the priests' council and get their response. The same could be done with the diocesan pastoral council to involve laity in the process.

Involving more people in the selection process could be divisive. Those who think more democracy is needed in the Church need to recognize democracy does not always work that well in the political realm, even in America.

But including more people in the selection would result in bishops who are embraced by their clergy and people. There are risks in opening up the process, but they are worth taking.

Since no system is perfect, we need to find something with checks and balances like the system proposed by Pope Leo I that involved clergy, laity and the college of bishops under the leadership of the pope. Whether we have the spiritual maturity to pull it off remains to be seen.

Synodality has shown that if we respectfully listen to one another in a prayerful setting, we are more likely to see where the Spirit is leading the Church. It can also help us see who should be the best synodal leaders as bishops.

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

Listening to the people of God is important, says newly-appointed Dicastery for Bishops' head Archbishop Robert Prevost (pictured).

A good bishop is "a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community, starting with the priests for whom the bishop is father and brother," Prevost says.

He must be able "to live this closeness to all, without excluding anyone."

While nuncios are asked to consult with some laypeople when identifying potential candidates to serve as bishops, that consultation should expand, he says.

"We had an interesting reflection among the members of the Dicastery on this issue."

Because a bishop is called to serve an entire diocese, not just the priests, "listening to the people of God is also important.

"If a candidate is not known by anyone among his people, it is difficult — not impossible, but difficult — for him to truly become pastor of a community, of a local church.

"So, it is important that the process is a little more open to listening to different members of the community."

This doesn't mean a local church chooses its pastor, "as if being called to be a bishop was the result of a democratic vote."

Broader view

Prevost thinks a much broader view is needed, and the apostolic nunciatures help a lot.

"I believe that little by little we need to open up more, to listen a little more to the religious and the laity."

A good bishop does not "give in to the temptation to live isolated, separated in a palace, satisfied with a certain social level or a certain level within the Church.

"And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today. The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers."

He noted the preoccupation with teaching doctrine and how to live the faith.

But we risk forgetting our first task - to teach what it means to know Jesus Christ and to bear witness to our closeness to the Lord, he says.

"This comes first: to communicate the beauty of the faith, the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus. It means that we ourselves are living it and sharing this experience."

Church unity

Three key theme words in the synod on synodality are participation, communion and mission, he says. They describe a bishop's role in the church.

"The bishop is called to this charism, to live the spirit of communion, to promote unity in the church, unity with the Pope."

That is part of being Catholic, "because without Peter, where is the church? Jesus prayed for this at the Last Supper, ‘That all may be one,' and it is this unity that we wish to see in the Church."

"The lack of unity is a wound that the Church suffers, a very painful one.

"Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything. We bishops especially must accelerate this movement toward unity, toward communion in the church."

Source

• America magazine

Among them was Archbishop Coadjutor Paul Martin, appointed the tenth Catholic Bishop of Christchurch in December 2017. He was consecrated in March 2018 (pictured).

There isn't usually such a time lag between being appointed bishop and attending the annual formation course.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however saw these cancelled until this year.

"It is clear the call of Pope Francis for the Church to act in a synodal way is being embedded in the manner of every dicastery," one of the bishops said.

The course offers practical information to the bishops and a chance to pray and meet with their peers from around the world and with top Vatican officials.

It also offers bishops a chance to respond to the Pope's desire for them to undertake "an intense spiritual reading of the call to the episcopate, first and foremost as a path of grace and sanctification, for the pastor and, through him, for his people," a statement from the Dicastery for Bishops says.

"No one can carry out a pastoral ministry in the church without a profound experience of being saved and of knowing how, beginning with Him, such mercy is truly offered, constantly and without discrimination, to every man and woman."

This year's course themes include:

• the meaning of "a synodal church"
• crisis management with special attention to handling situations and allegations of abuse
• the post-pandemic church
• a review of what canon law says about administering a diocese
• communication and use of the media, ministry to families with special attention to "Amoris Laetitia"
• promoting care for all people and for the environment with special attention to "Laudato Si'" and "Fratelli Tutti"

"There is clearly a process of renewal underway at every level which reflects the vision and mission of the Second Vatican Council," said one of the new bishops.

"The Church is listening more clearly to the joys, hopes, aspirations and anxieties of her people and this dialogue enhances her missionary stance to the world."

The 2022 courses are now being held in multiple sessions. The first groups of bishops — more than 150 of them — met Pope Francis in early September.

The second batch of bishops - from mission territories like New Zealand - met him on Saturday.

One bishop commented about the "wonderful experience to gather with bishops from so many countries, whose experience is shaped by the culture and context of their local Church.

"Among the bishops, nearly a third represented the Eastern-Oriental Catholics which further enriched the perspective of the universality of the Catholic Church in terms of liturgy, theology and pastoral practice."

The Dicastery for Bishops, the Dicastery for Evangelisation and the Dicastery for Eastern Churches organised the courses.

Source

• Crux Now
• CathNews Australia

French Salesian Sr Yvonne Reungoat made the comments to Vida Nueva, a Spanish publication.

Reungoat told the publication that while there is no perfect bishop, he has to be a shepherd who is "close to the people entrusted to him, he has to know how to involve priests, laity and religious, and people of different generations".

"To be a bishop, one must have the ability to listen, both to those who have the same ideas and to those who protest.

"Is not easy," she added.

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who heads the Dicastery for Bishops, once told Vida Nueva that "30% of those chosen to be bishops reject the appointment".

Vida Nueva asked Sister Reungoat what might explain this situation.

"There may be a difficulty in accepting the responsibility of being bishop of a particular church with all the joys, challenges and complaints that it entails," she said.

Sister Reungoat, who headed the congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesians) until October 2021, told Vida Nueva that it is important for women to have a role in naming new bishops.

The presence of women in the dicastery will allow for views and a sensitivity or awareness that are both common among men and women and "complementary", she said.

Women are more likely to be working very closely and have "direct contact" with people and situations "on the ground," she said. "We have knowledge that starts from reality. This experience is also about listening and dialoguing with this reality."

Having this "complementary vision" can help get "closer to reality, which is complex" and varied since bishops serve in different parts of the world. Sr Reungoat said that the dicastery must study and discern much information from the different nunciatures.

Seeing more women represented at high levels of the church may make women feel more involved, she said.

However, having a woman in a particular position "does not mean that the situation will automatically change. There needs to be a reciprocal openness".

In mid-July, Pope Francis named 14 new members to the dicastery responsible for helping the pope choose bishops. For the first time ever, the members included women: two religious and one lay.

Before Pope Francis' reform of the Roman Curia took effect in June, members of the dicastery were only cardinals and a few bishops.

Sources

• Catholic News
• Vida Nueva

The role of the dicastery is to help the pope in the appointment of Catholic bishops for Latin-rite dioceses outside what the Vatican considers the mission territories, for example, Australia.

Bishop appointments to mission territories such as New Zealand and Oceania are handled by the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

The three women, the first ever to be appointed to the dicastery, are:

• Sr Raffaella Petrini FSE, Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State (Left
• Sr Yvonne Reungoat FMA, former Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Centre)
• Dr Maria Lia Zervino, President of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (Right).

The appointments come after Pope Francis told the Reuters news agency in a recent interview that he plans to make women members of the Vatican office. Continue reading

The role of women in the Vatican hierarchy was one of the many Church and international topics the 85-year-old pontiff discussed in an interview last Saturday.

A new constitution for the Holy See's central administration that came into effect last month allows any baptised Catholic, including lay men and women, to head most Vatican departments.

"For the first time, two women will be named to the Congregation of Bishops' commission that chooses bishops," Francis said.

"In this way, things are opening up a bit."

Francis did not specify who would be appointed to what is now called the Dicastery for Bishops or when these appointments would take place.

Until a few months ago, the idea of women being allowed to select bishops was unimaginable in the eyes of several senior Vatican officials.

Members of the committee, which is now made up cardinals, bishops and priests, usually meet twice a month in Rome.

They vet candidates to govern for roughly half of the world's dioceses, those in countries with a longstanding Christian presence.

The Dicastery for Evangelisation is responsible for dealing with bishops' appointments in places considered mission territory.

Both dicasteries generally examine the top three candidates the apostolic nuncio puts forth to lead a particular diocese. The members of each dicastery decide on one of them and the name is submitted to the pope for his consideration.

Last year, for the first time, Francis named a woman to the number two position in the governorship of Vatican City, making Sister Raffaella Petrini the highest-ranking woman in the city state.

Men or women could head Vatican departments like the department for Catholic Education and Culture and the Apostolic Library. They are currently headed by male clerics.

Francis has already named a number women, both nuns and lay women, to Vatican departments.

Last year, he named Italian nun Sister Alessandra Smerilli to the number two position in the Vatican's development office, which deals with justice and peace issues.

Lay women already holding top jobs in the Vatican include the first female director of the Vatican Museums and the deputy director of the Vatican Press Office. Both were appointed by Francis.

Source

• Reuters
• La Croix