The coming crisis in episcopal demographics

[Maranatha]

The coming crisis in episcopal demographics

As of June 1, the diocese of Birmingham had been without a bishop for two years, while the diocese of Pittsburgh (not to mention the entire state of Arkansas) had been bishop-less for over a year. Without significant change, and soon, this glacial pace in the appointment of bishops is going to create a severe crisis of absentee Church leadership.

An exaggeration? Try this thought-experiment:
There are 222 months between July 2007 and December 2025. During that period, 165 diocesan bishops and 52 auxiliary bishops in the United States will reach the canonically prescribed retirement age of 75. That might suggest that a total of 217 bishops will have to be replaced between Independence Day 2007 and Christmas 2025 – which is a lot of bishops. Things are actually more complicated, however, for such a simple calculation doesn’t take into account the Ordinaries who will be transferred from one diocese to another, the bishops who may die before 75, or the bishops who may have to retire (or be retired). Nor does that simple calculation reflect the need for new bishops to fill the new dioceses that must be created as the Catholic population of the United States soars from 65 million today to perhaps 100 million in 2025. Taking all of these factors into account, a conservative estimate would suggest that the Church in America must be given at least 250 new bishops between now and December 2025: one new bishop about every three and a half weeks.

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[Scoobyshme]

I think the problem is that there are very few really good candidates for bishop in the “generation” of priests that are coming of normal “age” to be selected for bishops. Remember, these are the guys that went to horrible U.S. seminaries and were taught heresies, had rampant worldliness injected into the seminaries, and had very poor spiritual formation. I think if the Pope can hold out just a little longer, or start considering younger priests that went to some of the seminaries that were straightened out, we can get a much higher quality priest for bishop!

 

[frommi]

I think the problem is that there are very few really good candidates for bishop in the “generation” of priests that are coming of normal “age” to be selected for bishops. Remember, these are the guys that went to horrible U.S. seminaries and were taught heresies, had rampant worldliness injected into the seminaries, and had very poor spiritual formation. I think if the Pope can hold out just a little longer, or start considering younger priests that went to some of the seminaries that were straightened out, we can get a much higher quality priest for bishop!

I don’t think that has anything to do with it…I truly think there are not a lot of priests that want to be bishops…it’s not exactly a job for the faint of heart. Chicago was supposed to get two new aux bishops a year ago…we got one because the other flat out turned it down.

You can’t tell me that even with your perceptions of the seminary system that we can’t find a hundred priests in America who would make ‘good or excellent’ bishops.

In the case of Birmingham, there’s a four letter word (as one friend put it) preventing a bishop from being appointed that starts with E and ends with N…because that’s something few priests/bishops want to deal with.

Also, with the abuse crisis having happened, the vetting of candidates is much more stringent than before, and many priests who have experience running things at the diocesean level are being passed over because of the crisis.

Pope Benedict can’t ‘wait things out’. We need bishops in our vacant sees. After all, they are the successors of the apostles and chief shepherds of the local church.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Here in the Diocese of Little Rock, we have a number of Nigerian priests – and these guys talk the talk and walk the walk. Make the ones we have Bishops and send us more!

 

[frommi]

Here in the Diocese of Little Rock, we have a number of Nigerian priests – and these guys talk the talk and walk the walk. Make the ones we have Bishops and send us more!

That makes little (if any) sense…seeing as how the continent of Africa has a huge number of Catholics…and a worse priest to congregant ratio than the US…pillaging Nigeria for bishops does nothing to help anyone…

Except of course for your narrow viewpoint of what ‘walking the walk’ means.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Here in the Diocese of Little Rock, we have a number of Nigerian priests – and these guys talk the talk and walk the walk. Make the ones we have Bishops and send us more!

Vern, good point. If we can’t find any good candidates for bishops in the U.S., import good ones from abroad. I have no problem with having a foreign, but holy Catholic bishop!

 

[Scoobyshme]

I don’t think that has anything to do with it…I truly think there are not a lot of priests that want to be bishops…it’s not exactly a job for the faint of heart. Chicago was supposed to get two new aux bishops a year ago…we got one because the other flat out turned it down.

You can’t tell me that even with your perceptions of the seminary system that we can’t find a hundred priests in America who would make ‘good or excellent’ bishops.

In the case of Birmingham, there’s a four letter word (as one friend put it) preventing a bishop from being appointed that starts with E and ends with N…because that’s something few priests/bishops want to deal with.

Also, with the abuse crisis having happened, the vetting of candidates is much more stringent than before, and many priests who have experience running things at the diocesean level are being passed over because of the crisis.

Pope Benedict can’t ‘wait things out’. We need bishops in our vacant sees. After all, they are the successors of the apostles and chief shepherds of the local church.

Frommi, I think you’re making my point. If we cannot find priests that don’t have the courage and spirituality to handle a diocese like Birmingham, with EWTN, then they really don’t qualify to be a bishop. We need bishops who are orthodox and holy, who have courage and can stand up and do and say what is right! Those that turn the job down (and, I’ve heard several have) are not worthy or capable. They don’t fit the bill of what we need for a bishop in the Birmingham diocese (of which I am a member).

As someone posted, perhaps we can get good foreign priests to become bishops. Good foreign priests with good spiritual formation and education. Good foreign priests with a spirit of sacrifice and self-discipline, who have courage and fortitude!

I’d rather go wtihout a bishop rather than accept one who is not up to the task. The old joke used to be, “How many cardinals does it take to make a bishop?” The answer, “Three. Two to hold him down and one to remove his spine.” We don’ t need those kind of bishops. That’s why we’ve had so many problems here in the U.S.

 

[frommi]

I’d rather go wtihout a bishop rather than accept one who is not up to the task. The old joke used to be, “How many cardinals does it take to make a bishop?” The answer, “Three. Two to hold him down and one to remove his spine.” We don’ t need those kind of bishops. That’s why we’ve had so many problems here in the U.S.

Frankly…we need a bishop to stand up to that ‘catholic’ network and get it to stop being a source of division in the church…but that’s another thread.

Foreign priests are simply not the correct answer in this case…they aren’t the correct answer in any case quite frankly.

 

[Sr_Sally]

As someone posted, perhaps we can get good foreign priests to become bishops. Good foreign priests with good spiritual formation and education. Good foreign priests with a spirit of sacrifice and self-discipline, who have courage and fortitude!

We need to remember that the Catholic Church is a universal church. The problems of the US are not the only issues on the Vatican’s mind. Certainly if an area produces a surplus of priests they may indeed be moved around to assist other neighboring countries. But Africa has it’s own issues and the African priests here are usually in school for a specific reason that is needed back in their own country. We can benefit from their orthodoxy while they are priests in residence here, but we shouldn’t presume that they will stay here forever. Especially not as US Bishops.

 

[Caesar]

Why not elect some younger Bishops? St. Augustine was Bishop of Hippo at a rather young age after all, as St. Ambrose was in Milan.

Although the younger generation of clergy may be a bit too orthodox for the likings of some of the current Bishops.

 

[frommi]

Why not elect some younger Bishops? St. Augustine was Bishop of Hippo at a rather young age after all, as St. Ambrose was in Milan.

Although the younger generation of clergy may be a bit too orthodox for the likings of some of the current Bishops.

I really don’t think the bishop ‘crisis’ has much to do with orthodoxy…B16 has appointed more than a few bishops that have upset the ‘orthodox’…(San Francisco, Washington DC)…so it doesn’t follow that they are searching for people that will please the small percentage of people for whom 'orthodoxy = im better than you"

 

[rlg94086]

That makes little (if any) sense…seeing as how the continent of Africa has a huge number of Catholics…and a worse priest to congregant ratio than the US…pillaging Nigeria for bishops does nothing to help anyone…

Is that true? Why do I see so many African priests here then?

BTW…who “pillaged” Nigeria to bring them here?

 

[manualman]

Karl Keating had an e-letter on the subject some months back. IIRC, he offered a list of suggestions for new bishops, but doubted anybody would take him up on it!

Frommi, Are you seriously criticizing EWTN here for being divisive while defending certain theologians published in US Catholic who advocate “commited” cohabitation as being legitimate practitioners of academic freedom? Something doesn’t add up. You don’t think THOSE guys are being ‘divisive?’

 

[Maranatha]

I really don’t think the bishop ‘crisis’ has much to do with orthodoxy…B16 has appointed more than a few bishops that have upset the ‘orthodox’…(San Francisco, Washington DC)…so it doesn’t follow that they are searching for people that will please the small percentage of people for whom 'orthodoxy = im better than you"

The bishops in San Fran and DC were already bishops. They were promoted to larger more visible dioceses.

 

[Cactus]

there’s a four letter word (as one friend put it) preventing a bishop from being appointed that starts with E and ends with N…

To imply that EWTN is a dirty word is laughable. EWTN is nothing if not completely faithful. They’re just not going to turn over the property deed to the bishop. The growth of the Catholic media is something bishops need to come to terms with. They have nothing to fear from EWTN and the apostolates that have come along since then. That is, unless the bishops have an agenda that runs contrary to spreading the Gospel, bringing in troublesome converts, and drawing large numbers of people back to the Church. These are some areas the bishops have been somewhat remiss in, so I assume the feelings of guilt are overwhelming. I seem to remember a quote from the Cure of Ars about bishops’ skulls being used as paving material on the path to Hell. If I’m wrong, I’m sure someone will let me know.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Just a thought don’t flame me.

When the MP goes through and there is reconciliation with the SSPX there could be many possible candidates for the position of Bishop. Could this be one of the reasons that the MP is going to be presented now?

 

[chicago]

I think it is unlikely that anyone from the SSPX, even should they reconcile (which is by no means a given) will be appointed as an ordinary of a vacant see. That just wouldn’t sit very well with too many people. It may be possible, however, that those who are bishops within the SSPX would be, minimally, made tituar heads of defunct dioceses in order to be reconciled while confirming their order in the episcopate.

 

[Diana]

It is true that Pittsburgh has been waiting for an appointment of a new bishop for over one year…but we are NOT *without *a bishop…we simply do not yet have an ordinary. The current administrator of the diocese is indeed a bishop, Bishop Paul Bradley…technically an auxiliary, but a bishop no less…and I will be surprised if he is not elevated to become the ordinary very soon. I don’t know the reason for the delay in naming someone, of course, but in the case of Pittsburgh at least it is *not *because there is no suitable candidiate. I feel quite confidant about saying that.

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

Why not elect some younger Bishops? St. Augustine was Bishop of Hippo at a rather young age after all, as St. Ambrose was in Milan.

Maybe because Latin Rite Bishops are not elected?

Although the younger generation of clergy may be a bit too orthodox for the likings of some of the current Bishops.

Probably true. But here in Canada, there has been a marked infusion of younger, vigorously faithful blood into the episcopacy. And there are some real lions in US dioceses. It takes time, but the current Holy Father is taking a very hands on approach to the making and assigning of Bishops, and it seems to be having an effect.

Sadly, the Church moves at a pace that does not exactly satisfy a need (which I sometimes have gnawing at me) for instant fixes and gratification.

Blessings,

Gerry

 

[OriginalJS]

Why not elect some younger Bishops? St. Augustine was Bishop of Hippo at a rather young age after all, as St. Ambrose was in Milan. . . .

Right! Pope John XII was 18 when elected. But then, times have changed.