The bold is mine.
I see comments and questions like this on this forum all the time and am amazed at the fact that so many Catholics do not understand that role of a bishop and that of a Major Religioius Superor or a religious community of Pontifical Right. When I went to school, this was very clearly explained to us in Church history classes.
The Jesuits own and run Boston College, not the Archdiocese. Therefore, the only authority over Boston College is the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits, not the Archbishop. If any bishop in any diocese becomes involved with a member or members of a religious order of Pontifical Right to discipline them, their mitres would spin faster than the head of John the Baptist. These Orders are protected by the pope. He is their highest superior.
The hierarchy of orders and congregations of pontifical right goes this way.
Lowest level: local superior
Regional level: regional superior or provincial superior
National level: national superior or general counselor
International level: superior general
Universal Church level: Pontiff
The bishop is nowhere in this hierarchy. They do not answer to him and he has no jurisdiction over what happens in their houses and their institutions. The bishop is only responsible for what happens on diocesan property and diocesan ministries.
Please, let’s stop demanding that bishops do things that they are not allowed to do. A male Major Superior of any religious order has the same power as a bishop, even if that major superior is not ordained. Any male major superior is an Ordinary, equal to a bishop.
Therefore, only the Pope has authority over that superior and all commands to the members of that community have to trickle down from the Holy Father through the Congregation for Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life. It does not even come directly from the Holy Father. There is a protocal that is followed, before the Holy Father becomes personally involved.
As to the bishop, he may NEVER get involved with a religious of Pontifical Right unless that person or persons work for him.
That’s why the Bishop of Stubenville said that he could not ask the Franciscans at Franciscan University to celebrate the EF. The Holy Father had told the bishops that they were not to impose this on religious of pontifical right.
Certain decisions, such as this one, the Holy Father leaves to the Major Superiors of the orders. In this case, the Society of Jesus and the Board of Governors of the University.
Let’s give the bishops a break and not expect them to get their heads chopped off by the Holy See or some Congregation in the Curia.
Fraternally,
JR
This is like the families that sent off their daughters to convents in the 1960’s and got back many of them. No longer Catholic but rabid feminists.