Ordination of New Priest when See is Vacant

[Inman]

This is more of a canon law question than a question about vocations per se, but this is probably the most closely related forum.

Our diocese, Charleston, is now vacant. A monsignor has been elected to serve as diocesean administrator until a new bishop is appointed. Presumably, there are new priests due to be ordained every year. What happens if a See is still vacant when new priests finish seminary and are due to be ordained? Is their ordination held up until a replacement is named? Do they stay in seminary or serve as deacons in parishes until a new bishop is named?

Hopefully this is an academic question since we just ordained 6 priests a couple of months ago and will have a new bishop before we are due to ordaine more, but it must come up in other dioceses. Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

This is more of a canon law question than a question about vocations per se, but this is probably the most closely related forum.

Our diocese, Charleston, is now vacant. A monsignor has been elected to serve as diocesean administrator until a new bishop is appointed. Presumably, there are new priests due to be ordained every year. What happens if a See is still vacant when new priests finish seminary and are due to be ordained? Is their ordination held up until a replacement is named? Do they stay in seminary or serve as deacons in parishes until a new bishop is named?

Hopefully this is an academic question since we just ordained 6 priests a couple of months ago and will have a new bishop before we are due to ordaine more, but it must come up in other dioceses. Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.

It is my understanding that no ordinations may be done while a see is vacant.

I believe this Code covers that.

Can. 428 §1 While the see is vacant, no innovation is to be made.

§2 Those who have the interim governance of the diocese are forbidden to do anything which could in any way prejudice the rights of the diocese or of the Bishop. Both they, and in like manner any other persons, are specifically forbidden to remove, destroy or in any way alter documents of the diocesan curia, either personally or through another.

Specifically §2 where it says “forbidden to do anything which could in any way prejudice the rights of the diocese or of the Bishop” as it is the Bishop’s right to call a man forward for ordination in his diocese.

 

[Inman]

Thanks.

That makes sense and I suspected it to be the case. But it raises a practical question. What happens to those seminarians during the time the see is vacant. My understanding is that Bimingham in Alabama Diocese was vacant for two years.

Were ordinations delayed that long? In that case, the administrator was the former bishop and thus had the ability to ordain new priests, if not permission to do so.

What about confirmations? Dispensations to marry non-catholics?