Religious priest and bishops

[kylemeko]

If a bishop is the head of a diocese can a religious priest become a bishop or can only a diocesan priest? And how does that all work?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

If a bishop is the head of a diocese can a religious priest become a bishop or can only a diocesan priest? And how does that all work?

A religious priest may become a bishop. There are many out there.

When he is raised to the episcopacy his vows of poverty and obedience to his religious superior are removed. He sort of becomes an “honorary” member of the order as he no longer retains the right to vote at the orders chapter.

 

[AdvanceAlways]

Funny, I was thinking about posting a similar question right now but now its been answered!

 

[Titus]

Religious priests have risen to be pope many times, particularly Dominicans.

In my diocese the Auxiliary Bishop is a religious, he still follows the rule of the order for the most part, but isn’t obliged to, as ByzCath said.

 

[batteddy]

Yeah, well according to Aquinas and other theologians…the episcopate and religious life are the two “states of perfection” so a religious raised to the episcopate, though they will often follow the practices still, doesn’t technically need to any more because they are in the state of perfection anyway by virtue of their episcopate. To have both is sort of redundant, and this is reflected in canon law which largely dispenses them.