Wednesday, May 28, 2008

On moving bishops from small to big dioceses

by Kenneth Baker, S.J., Homiletic & Pastoral Review, August/September 2007, reprinted in the May 2007 newsletter of the Milwaukee chapter of Catholics United for the Faith. The problem,
The present policy is not good for the Church because it promotes ambition among certain clerics who lust for the purple and the red, who position themselves in the most positive way so that they will be promoted to a higher position.

His proposed solution,
if all bishops knew they were not going to be moved up, they would be more diligent in sanctifying and ruling their diocese because they are there for life.

My suggestion is to appoint holy auxiliary bishops and priests who have shown that they are good pastors. That is all the training they need. They can learn how to bishop by being a bishop. With the scandals involving bishops, it is obvious that the old policy of “moving up” has not been a success.

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