Bishop of Titular See?

[Libero]

I have three main questions about bishops who are given a titular see for whatever reason it may be:

1. Can a titular bishop attend a synod as a participating member - Does the bishop have the same authority and rank as another?
2. A titular see is a physical mass of land. Is there an actual diocese covering that area which another bishop has jurisdiction over?
3. As this titular see is an area of land, can that bishop construct a church there and preach?

Thankyou in adavnce.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Libero:

I have three main questions about bishops who are given a titular see for whatever reason it may be:

1. A titular see is a physical mass of land. Is there an actual diocese covering that area which another bishop has jurisdiction over?

There can be. An example would be the titular See of Allegheny, which is contained entirely by the Diocese of Pittburgh. I don’t know that such is always the case, however, especially wrt those sees *in partibus infidelium. *
(okay, I admit it: I just like to use that phrase, since I sometimes wonder if we in the USA aren’t living in such partibus)

Libero:

1. As this titular see is an area of land, can that bishop construct a church there and preach?

There was a whacko French bishop a few years ago, who when authorities started putting the screws to him insisted on going to his titular see (somewhere in Africa?)…

tee

 

[AJV]

tee_eff_em:

There was a whacko French bishop a few years ago, who when authorities started putting the screws to him insisted on going to his titular see (somewhere in Africa?)…
tee

Yes, the titular diocese of Partenia’s bishop is Bishop Jacques Galliot formerly of the diocese of Evreux in France. I believe he has referred to his diocese as one ‘without borders’ and extended it virtually. I will hunt for the link and post it a little later.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Libero:

I have three main questions about bishops who are given a titular see for whatever reason it may be:

1. Can a titular bishop attend a synod as a participating member - Does the bishop have the same authority and rank as another?

I believe bishops of titular sees (except for the six cardinal bishops) always rank lower than ordinaries of “real” sees and, since their flock is actually under the authority of a different bishop, they have lesser authority as well. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure the whole idea of titular sees (at least, now that we’ve moved beyond pluralism) is to have bishops who aren’t actually in charge of governing a church and thus have lesser “authority” than other bishops as they have no actual flock of their own but more freedom to serve the Church in other areas (they might assist another bishop, work in the curia/diplomatic corps, etc.).

 

[Libero]

Yes, the titular diocese of Partenia’s bishop is Bishop Jacques Galliot formerly of the diocese of Evreux in France. I believe he has referred to his diocese as one ‘without borders’ and extended it virtually. I will hunt for the link and post it a little later.

Thanks, I have already found out about Bishop Galliot and his cyber diocese, thats what goy me interested.

Apparently Partenia was once a huge city but has now been covered by the Sahara Desert.

www.partenia.org

 

[Achatius]

I have got a question, what is a titular see?

 

[cameron_lansing]

1. Can a titular bishop attend a synod as a participating member - Does the bishop have the same authority and rank as another?

Canon 376, “Bishops are called diocesan when the care of a diocese has been entrusted to them; all others are called titular.” A diocesan bishop has the power of governance, which is sometimes called jurisdiction, by virtue of his office. A titular bishop does not.

There are two kinds of synods in church law. One is called by a diocesan bishop and the other by the Roman Pontiff.

The participation of members is consultative, although they can have deliberative power in certain cases, always subject to the ratification or approval of the same bishop or Roman Pontiff.

The first kind of synod is called by the diocesan bishop. A diocesan synod is a group of selected priests and other Christian faithful of a particular church which offers assistance to the diocesan bishop for the good of the entire diocesan community according to the norm of the following canons. (C. 460) The following persons are to be called to the diocesan synod as its members and are obliged to participate in it: 1º the coadjutor bishop and the auxiliary bishops. (C. 463 §1) The diocesan bishop is the sole legislator at a diocesan synod while the remaining members of the synod possess only a consultative vote; he alone signs the synodal declarations and decrees which can be published only through his authority. (C. 466)

So titular bishops would attend. A retired bishop could be named as a member of a synod at the discretion of the diocesan bishop (c. 463 §3).

The second synod assists the Roman Pontiff. Such a synod can be general, treating concerns of the universal Church, with extraordinary or ordinary sessions, or even special sessions. There can also be special synods, which treat matters of regions or territories. (CC. 345-346)

In exercising his office the Roman Pontiff is assisted by the bishops who aid him in various ways and among these is the synod of bishops . . .(c. 334) The synod of bishops is that group of bishops who have been chosen from different regions of the world and who meet at stated times to foster a closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and the bishops, to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in safeguarding and increasing faith and morals and in preserving and strengthening ecclesiastical discipline, and to consider questions concerning the Church’s activity in the world. (C. 342)

It is the role of the synod of bishops to discuss the questions on their agenda and to express their desires about them but not to resolve them or to issue decrees about them, unless the Roman Pontiff in certain cases has endowed the synod with deliberative power, and, in this event, it is his role to ratify its decisions. (C. 343)

Sometimes bishops are appointed directly by the Roman Pontiff,sometimes elected and sometimes designated by the law itself (CC. 344 and 346) It varies according to the type of synod.

I have got a question, what is a titular see?

google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&oi=defmore&defl=en&q=define:Titular+see has a sufficiently adequate though hardly comprehensive definition. It is one of those things that is a fiction of law. Retired diocesan bishops are no longer given titular sees.

 

[Libero]

A titular see is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church that no longer exists, it has been outdated. For example, Bishop Gaillot Titular Diocese is that of partenia, which was once a huge city, but by the 5th century was consumed by the Sahara desert, now it is just sand. Many titular sees are near the mediteranean.

P.S. (deacon?) John, thanks for replying, I didn’t think anyone was going to

 

[tee_eff_em]

cameron_lansing:

It is one of those things that is a fiction of law. Retired diocesan bishops are no longer given titular sees.

But active auxiliary bishops often (always?) are.

tee

 

[cameron_lansing]

tee_eff_em:

But active auxiliary bishops often (always?)are. tee

I believe so. As well, and I should have mentioned this, there are also legates of the Holy See, territorial abbots, apostolic vicars, apostolic administrators, certain of those who work in the Roman curia or perform a special function in a given territory.

There can also be titular Archbishops. An added oomph in prestige. Usually for apostolic nuncios.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

cameron_lansing:

I believe so. As well, and I should have mentioned this, there are also legates of the Holy See, territorial abbots, apostolic vicars, apostolic administrators, certain of those who work in the Roman curia or perform a special function in a given territory.

There can also be titular Archbishops. An added oomph in prestige. Usually for apostolic nuncios.

During the last years of his service as secretary to Pope John Paul II, Abp. Stanilas Dziwisz was a titular archbishop. He is now a diocesan archbishop, however, since he has succeeded to the see of Krakow.

 

[Irish_Melkite]

1. Can a titular bishop attend a synod as a participating member - Does the bishop have the same authority and rank as another?

A bishop of a titular see has the same rank as any other bishop; his position of precedence in, for instance, an ecclesiastical procession is determined by the date of his appointment as a bishop, as is the case with almost all other bishops who might be processing.

So, in a typical procession (reverse order, the ranking prelate being at the end), a titular bishop will ordinarily follow all bishops (titular or otherwise) who were appointed to the order of bishop on dates subsequent to him and will precede all who were appointed prior to him. (The most notable exception would be the bishop in whose See the procession is conducted, who has precedence ex officio in his own jurisdiction with respect to most other hierarchs, regardless of date of appointment. There are a few other possible exceptions (e.g., a papal representative).

The authority of a titular bishop is limited to that which accords to all bishops and whatever authority comes to him as a function of the office that he holds (e.g., diocesan auxiliary, curial official, apostolic visitator), as he obviously has no authority of governance.

1. A titular see is a physical mass of land. Is there an actual diocese covering that area which another bishop has jurisdiction over?

Titular sees, as has been explained, represent dioceses that once existed, but do no longer. Many of the historical ones date back to early centuries and were situated in places that are no longer inhabited (in some cases are no longer inhabitable) or in places where the Catholic presence is now too sparse to support the existence of a diocese. Others have been subsumed into larger dioceses as a result of population shifts - the Docese of Allegheny, mentioned above, is an example. It was formed from territory of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1876 and was canonically suppressed in 1889, its territory being re-absorbed into its parent, Pittsburgh.

Besides changes in habitability, population shifts, and shifts in the faith of inhabitants, other factors that caused jurisdictions to fade into the ecclesiastical equivalents of “ghost towns” include the fact that “dioceses” were once often no bigger than a village (in times when bishops were as numerous as monsignors would later be) and that difficulties of communication and transportation argued for small, compact ecclesiastical communities.

Much - nearly all - of the territory encompassed by titular dioceses is, in fact, physically situated within the geographical bounds of another canonical jurisdiction - diocese or otherwise.

1. As this titular see is an area of land, can that bishop construct a church there and preach?

No; that would imply exercising a governance that he exercises only in “title” (titular).

Someone mentioned titular archdioceses/archbishops. They exist, but are relatively few in number. They should not be confused with bishops who are accorded the title archbishop in personam or ad honorem, i.e., as a personal title or a title of honor.

Many years,

Neil

 

[Libero]

Thanks Neil

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Irish Melkite:

Someone mentioned titular archdioceses/archbishops. They exist, but are relatively few in number. They should not be confused with bishops who are accorded the title archbishop in personam or ad honorem, i.e., as a personal title or a title of honor.

Many years,

Neil

I didn’t realize there were so many ways in which could be an archbishop. That means Abp. Dziwisz may have been one of the types described by Neil. Mea culpa.

 

[Irish_Melkite]

Andreas Hofer:

I didn’t realize there were so many ways in which could be an archbishop. That means Abp. Dziwisz may have been one of the types described by Neil. Mea culpa.

Andreas,

According to David Cheney’s Catholic Hierarchy site, Archbishop Stanislaw was initially appointed to the Titular See of San Leone, a diocese, and was later elevated to Titular Archbishop of the same See. David is generally painstakingly accurate in his listings, but that seems out of synch.

Without looking at the 1998 edition of my friend Charles Bransom’s annual compilation of episcopal ordinations, I’m guessing, but I’d say that the title of Archbishop was likely accorded to him either ad personam or ad honorem, rather than that it truly represented a titular archbishopric. He is, of course, now Archbishop de facto and de jure, as he holds title to the Archdiocese of Kracow.

Many years,

Neil

 

[John_Higgins]

IM,

Sometimes a titular diocese gets elevated to a titular archdiocese.

BTW, there are some other titular sees in the United States, for instance, the Diocese of Lead (my personal favorite), Walla Walla, Quincy, and Alton.

John

 

[Libero]

Thankyou everyone.