The Pope's Bishops
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Thursday, January 28, 1988 Courier-Journal The pope's bishops: Shaping world hierarchy in his image By John Thavis , Lay and priest groups complained that the Vatican City (NO — In the nearly 10 years pope bypassed several auxiliary bishops and he has held office, Pope John Paul II has the entire diocesan clergy in his selection. begun to shape the body of the world's When some Austrian bishops brought the bishops in his image. subject up last summer, the pope told them He chooses men who are trained in directly that there should be "no doubt" doctrinal theology, dedicated to the sacra about the pope's right to select bishops. ments and unafraid to buck contemporary "The doctrinal element is extremely im trends in the Church and in society at large. portant for this pope. He recognizes that in So say Vatican officials who have followed today's world, bishops who aren't this papacy and the pope's approximately doctrinally prepared are swept aside," said 1,200 episcopal appointments — more than a Monsignor Mario Rizzi, a Curia official third of all active bishops. under the last five popes and currently The officials said the pope looks for secretary of the Congregation for Eastern- candidates who can articulately defend rite Churches, which handles bishop ap Church doctrine. Many are older, and many pointments among Eastern rites. are members of religious orders. In addition, Said Vatican press spokesman Joaquin many have been surprise choices, sometimes Navarro-Vails: "The pope knows that the arousing opposition from local priests and greatest enemy of the Church today is ... other Catholics. doctrinal and theological ignorance. The idea Choosing bishops is traditionally one of that many Catholics have of Church doctrine - the most crucial papal tasks. It involves some is a caricature." local consultation but is ultimately up to the In looking for episcopal "candidates, Navarro-Vails said, the pope seeks "one pope, who can put his stamp on the Church's element above all — a solid, intellectual hierarchy for years to come. knowledge of theology." "This pope takes a deep and personal For that reason, Vatican departments interest in the appointment of bishops, involved routinely probe candidates for their especially to the larger sees. It is a major educational history and their adherence to theme on his agenda," said one official who the magisterium, specifically on such has been at the Vatican since 1977. teachings as "Humanae Vitae," the en The official said the pope's choices reflect cyclical .prohibiting artificial contraception, his overriding concern about orthodoxy in an informed Vatican officials said. Attitudes age marked; by dissent. In the defense of toward priestly celibacy and women's ordi Church teachings, bishops are seen as the nation are also investigated. Loyalty to the front line. Holy See is another important point on the Two appointments — one of the pope's checklist, they said. first and one of his latest — help illustrate the "Orthodoxy is the big issue today. Some startling decisions the pontiff has sometimes one who is known to be a challenger can made. certainly not be chosen to be a bishop," said In 1978, when he sought a replacement for one'bfficial involved in the selection process. his former Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland, Vatican sources listed other important the pope was expected to turn to a veteran of qualities sought in candidates: the Polish hierarchy. Instead, he picked his • Priority on prayer and the sacraments former&iseminary rector, Monsignor Fran- and a clear understanding of the Church as a ciszek Macharski, a theologian known for his sacramental mystery. "Administrators, yes, piety. A few months later, before the shock but first they have to understand the Church waves had subsided, he made Archbishop as a sacrament,'' said Navarro-Vails. Macharski a cardinal. In 1986, after a 10-month search, the pope • An ability to take, positions not always made a surprising choice for the successor to shared by one's own faithful, diocesan Cardinal Franz Konig of Vienna, Austria. It priests or bishops' conference, and a will Was a 66-year-old Benedictine monk, Father ingness to modify diocesan structures that NCNews/UPt Hans' Hermann Groer, who had little ad- are not working well. At St. Peter's Basilica, 10 new bishops prostrate themselves during their ordination ' ministrative experience but a reputation for • A missionary vision of the Church that ceremony. Pope John Paul II ordained the group, which included Nazareth-born Michel devoutness — and for recruiting priests does not become bogged down in purely local Sabbah, the first Arab to be named Latin-rite patriarch of Jerusalem, and American John during hiking trips with youths. Father Groer interests. Gavin Nolan, who will be auxiliary bishop with the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military went from head of a minor seminary to head • A strong commitment to vocations and Services. of an archdiocese with l.S million Catholics. an openness to apostolic lay movements. Examining trends among the pope's major appointments By John Thavis documents during the Synod of Bishops on president of the Spanish bishops' conference Dominican and former secretary of the Vaticaif City (NC) — Although the pope the laity. in 1987. Under his leadership, the conference Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, named does not know all his candidates for bishop i • Cardinal Giacomo Biffi of Bologna, has stepped up its criticism of the Socialist in July to head Brazil's primatial See, Sao personally, Vatican officials and other Iialy. known chiefly for his theological government policies on abortion, sex educa Salvador da Bahia. In unexpectedly pro sources familiar with the selection process w ritings and lectures before the pope put him > tion in public schools and the Church's role moting this curial official to such an said his world travels have opened the way in qharge of one of Italy's most difficult in public life. His replacement of Madrid's important archdiocese, the pope was "send for him to become acquainted with an archdioceses in 1984. Once in Bologna, he * seminary rector was protested by an organi ing a message" of dissatisfaction to the increasing number of potential appointees. quickly built a reputation for political zation of more than 200 local priests. Brazilian hierarchy, said one Vatican of His frequent foreign trips make him the outspokenness, denouncing the leftist re • Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, promoted ficial. first pontiff to meet the clergy and study gional government on such issues as abortion to Munich, West Germany, in 1982 and their problems firsthand. and divorce during an election campaign. made a cardinal three years later. A pro The pope has also not hesitated to select "When dioceses open up, he often has his llast summer he reversed a longstanding fessor of dogmatic theology, he is the author older men, such as Cardinal Suquia. Ac own personal impression about what is policy when he prohibited concert music in of a number of books on Christian doctrine. cording to statistics provided by the Vatican, needed," said one Vatican official. "With archdiocesan churches. He has been a papal appointee to the last two the average age of the world's active and major sees, the pope himself ponders (the | • Cardinal Angel Suquia Goicoechea, synods, where he Has played an influential retired bishops has increased rapidly under appointments) in a special way." promoted at age 66 to Madrid, Spain, in role. this pontificate, from about 59 in 1978 to Several bishops were singled out by 1.983, named a cardinal in 1985 and elected • Archbishop. Lucas Moreira Neves, a nearly 64 in 1986. sources as typical of the trend in appoint ments set by Pope John Paul in major sees: They included: • Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger of Paris, Consultation: Casting a critical eye on candidates whom the pope elevated from a parish priest By John Thavis Vatican official said. The letters and the Church? tb the. head of one of Europe's most Vatican City (NC) — Although the selec- replies are considered strictly confidential. • Is he interested in the problem of important archdioceses in 16 months. Cardi t on of bishops ultimately rests with Pope An unfavorable report can badly damage a vocations? One official said this, interest nal Lustiger began as bishop of Orleans, John Paul II, he relies on several important candidate's chances. must be "a commitment that is more than France, in f979, energetically reorganizing conduits in gathering information and re The questions focus on everything from talk — he should know about seminary and diocesan offices and, as one of his first acts, - commending candidates. the religious habits of a candidate's family to formation programs." reopening the local seminary. In Paris, he set Local Catholics, both lay and clerical, are his degree of support for papal teachings, • Is he attentive to social problems, in up a two-year spiritual and doctrinal educa given an opportunity to comment in private according to two informed Vatican officials. accordance with Church teachings?Does he - tion program for the laity. Like many of en candidates. Local bishops and bishops' Besides ordinary biographical and educa have a healthy attitude toward ''other re Pope John Paul's appointees, and like the conferences are consulted in drawing up the tion information, the following questions are ligions? What are his political attitudes? . pope himself, he is described as progressive final three-name list, called a "terna," for routinely asked, officials said: The Congregation for the Evangelization on some social issues and conservative on Vatican review. • Does he demonstrate loyalty to the doctrine. By papal assignment, he wrote J Several Vatican officials said, however, .of Peoples, which helps choose bishops in Holy See? Is he critical of the hierarchy? mission territories, also asks about each most of the first draft of a message to the that under this pope the "terna" is some Does he adhere to the magisterium, aiid world's Catholics during the 1985 times sent back.