Number of vacant sees in the Church rising!

Lots of vacant cathedras

Maybe this is the reason why a private secretary of a cardinal feels he too will become a monsignor and then a bishop in the near future!

Ha!

Asa ka pa.

I got this from the National Catholic Register.



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A crisis of sorts is developing in the appointment of Catholic bishops worldwide as a backlog of 187 sees (not including China) remain vacant.  [Woooowwww!!!!]

According to figures on Catholic-Hierarchy.org, eight U.S. dioceses are without a bishop, plus two U.S. eparchies (dioceses of Eastern rite churches).

These include the diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut which hasn’t had a bishop since March 2012 when Mons. William Lori was appointed Archbishop of Baltimore.

Others include Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Fort Worth, Texas; Rochester, NY; and Marquette, Michigan, vacated by Mons. Alexander Sample in January on his appointment as Archbishop of Portland, Oregon.

Half of Scotland’s ordinaries – four out of eight – have yet to be appointed, including the archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh which suddenly fell vacant in February after the resignation of Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has nine sees with a bishop. In January this year, retired Filipino Archbishop Oscar Cruz noted there were then 10 vacant sees in the country and thought it might be the highest number in recent history. He wondered if the Vatican might have been having a hard time in appointing new bishops for the country. [or seeing how some bishops in the Philippines are performing, maybe the Holy See really HAS to screen well those who are nominated.  Ever wonder what Bishop Ongtioco did to Mr. Joaquin Bernas and his online tirade against the bishops for standing up against contraception?  One word.  NOTHING.  Bishop Ongtioco did NOTHING against this public dissenter!  And you wonder why the Holy See is having a hard time?  Sheesh!]

“Maybe they are looking for a certain qualification, a way of doing things or a way of thinking…there is no fast rule on this really,” he said, adding he was not worried as he was confident the Vatican would soon appoint new bishops.

England also has two important dioceses that need a bishop: the archdiocese of Liverpool, vacant since February, and Leeds which has been without an ordinary since June 2012.

Italy is one of those countries faring the worst: 12 vacant sees, two vacant territorial abbeys, and one eparchy.

Meanwhile, some dioceses, such as Wilcannia-Forbes in Australia and Mansa in Zambia, haven’t had a bishop since 2009.  [That is way too long! Wonder what is keeping the appointments.]

Sees that fell vacant during Benedict's pontificate, and which remain so, number the most – 131 out of 187. Since Pope Francis was elected, 36 dioceses fell vacant and continue to be without a bishop.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said he was unaware of the reasons, and did not know what the average period is for dioceses to remain without a bishop. [Well, what does Fr. Lombardi actually KNOW?  Sheesh!  I miss Dr. Navarro-Valls!]  But he added he “wouldn’t be surprised” if, during the time of transition from one pontificate to another, and with “everything that has significance for the normal operation of ecclesiastical institutions, a certain delay in pending procedures has resulted.”  [See that?  The article already notes that there have already been vacant sees during the time of Benedict in the Chair of Peter. And Fr. Lombardi attributes it to the change in management?  See what I told you.]

Since his election, the Holy Father has had many pressing duties competing for his attention, not least reforming the Roman Curia and the Vatican Bank. [Better way of putting it.] But delays in the appointment of bishops is becoming a concern, and one no doubt he will wish to tackle sooner rather than later.

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There are so many reasons why there are apostolic vicariates, prelatures, dioceses and eparchies and territorial abbeys that still have no bishop or abbot.  We don't know the reason and even the politics behind the delay in the appointments.

But we must continually pray that the bishops appointed are those who genuinely care for the flock of Christ and not those careerists, like the ones mentioned by Pope Francis, or like the private secretary I mentioned.  (By the way, that private secretary wears a ring on his right hand instead of the usual left hand.  The left hand is where the wedding ring is worn and where the professed religious and even some priests wear the ring of their consecration.  This private secretary wears it on the right hand.  This is hand where the BISHOPs wear the episcopal ring.  Feeling di ba?  Ha!)

"You shall know them by their fruits" as the Gospel tells us.  And these bishops caused more harm than good to the Church.  We even asked why they were even placed there in the first place.

If you are still wondering, ask Christ why He chose this guy to be part of the Twelve.

There are things in this world that we cannot always find an answer to.

Let us just pray for the Holy Father.

Let us pray for the shepherds after his heart (see Jeremiah 3:15)