How bishops are chosen
During my lifetime, bishops have been appointed and assigned to dioceses by the pope. Once appointed, the bishop serves until he reaches age 75. Pope Paul VI instituted this limit, and all popes since him have abided by it. (US Congress, pay attention: This could be a useful policy for you to adopt as well!)
Although when he reaches the age of 75, a bishop must offer his resignation to the current pope, the pope may or not accept it. If the pope feels the bishop is still effective, he may ask the bishop to serve for an additional period of time.
Bishops can be removed before the mandatory retirement age, but only under extraordinary circumstances - like committing or covering up abuse, fraud, or insubordination, etc. But those cases are few and far between.
Part One: The Selection Process – an overview
When a vacancy in a diocese is coming up because of a retirement, illness or death, or other reason, the pope looks for suitable candidates. This undertaking is organized by the Papal Nuncio - the pope’s representative to the US Church.
The Nuncio solicits candidates for the job and the vetting process begins. Questionnaires are sent out to other bishops who know and have worked with the person. The character of the man, his ability to manage a parish, pastor his parishioners, and his fidelity to doctrine and the teachings of the Magisterium are all important considerations. The completed questionnaires are submitted to the Papal Nuncio, who consolidates them and writes up reports on each candidate.
This information is then forwarded to the Vatican and taken up by the Dicastery for Bishops (Dicastery is Vatican-speak for department). They are responsible for evaluating everything and sending their recommendations on to the pope, who makes the final decision.
Up to this point, what I have described is a process that has remained consistent over the past few papacies. Each pope is looking for men who will meet the current needs of the Church as he sees them and are loyal to the Magisterium and the Church. No surprises there. Pope Francis is no different, but he has also put his own stamp on this process in several important ways. How has he changed the process? And what is he looking for in a bishop?
That’s where I want to go next.
Part Two: What kind of bishop is Pope Francis looking for?
We have all heard Pope Francis say he wants the Church to be like “a field hospital,” able “to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful.” And he has also said he wants priests (who eventually become bishops) to be shepherds that have “the smell of the sheep” on them, that is, he wants them to be close to the people. So, we might say he is looking for good pastors.
In addition, early in his papacy in an address to the Bishops, Pope Francis said, that above all else, bishops must be faithful “witnesses to the Risen One.” That is, they must be men who are focused on Jesus - loving Him, teaching about Him, and trying to follow His example in their lives. So, how is he going about finding these men?
As I have investigated this more deeply, I see that Pope Francis has changed the selection process during his papacy in two ways: 1) expanding the depth of information available on individual candidates, and 2) changing the make-up and leadership of the Dicastery of Bishops - the Vatican department that is responsible for reviewing and recommending candidates for the bishop. I’ll take these one at a time.
The Depth of Information
The first change Pope Francis made was to greatly expand the information required on candidates for bishop - making what was a one-page questionnaire into a four-page one.
Note: I am grateful to the Podcast Inside the Vatican “Deep Dive: How Bishops are Chosen” (4/22/2021) for the information that I outline below. It’s worth a listen because it not only talks in detail about how the process works, but also how it can go wrong.
The revised questionnaire begins with “personal notes.” The person completing the questionnaire is asked to say how he knows the candidate. And how well. Can he give an overall description of the person? This assessment should be made only on actual personal experience and not “hearsay.”
The questionnaire goes on to inquire about the candidate’s human, intellectual, and pastoral qualities. Is the candidate “a sincere, balanced person”? Is he capable of “serene relationships” with others and making “calm judgments”? Does he know about the “situations of people's real lives”?
Is he loyal to the teachings of the Magisterium - both the teachings that impact the inner workings of the Church, like priestly celibacy, and women’s ordination, etc., as well as the Church's moral teachings on abortion, birth control, euthanasia, etc. Is he committed to the social justice teachings of the Church?
Next, the questionnaire also asks if the candidate has any known deficiencies - especially in areas that could cause scandal for the church, or damage to the people of his diocese. Has he had any inappropriate relationships with men, or women, or minors? Has he handled cases of suspected abuse appropriately and expeditiously?
The questionnaire ends with a request for the person’s overall evaluation of the suitability of the candidate for the position, and a request to identify anyone else they think should be asked for their input. This could include lay persons as well as clergy.
Changes at the Dicastery for Bishops
The second way Pope Francis has put his stamp on the selection process for bishops is by changing the makeup and the leadership of the Dicastery for Bishops - the group that reviews the assessments from the Nuncios and makes final recommendations to the pope.
On July 13, 2022, the Vatican announced that, for the first time, Pope Francis has appointed three women to the Dicastery for Bishops, two religious sisters, and a laywoman. This is in keeping with his promise to raise women to some of the highest ranks of decisionmakers in the Church.
In 2023, Pope Francis appointed a new prefect, or head, for the Dicastery of Bishops, replacing Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 80, who was appointed in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. The new prefect is Bishop Robert Francis Prevost, 67, an Augustinian. He was born in Chicago, but spent most of his career in Peru, working in the missions. Eventually he became Augustinian mission and vocations director. Pope Francis made him a bishop in 2014 and appointed him to the Dicastery for Bishops in 2020.
Finally, and of particular importance to the American Church, the two American Cardinals Pope Francis has appointed to the Dicastery of Bishops are Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, NJ. Both are strong allies of the pope. This is important because they have a significant amount of sway where American appointments are concerned, it being assumed that they have more knowledge of the dioceses and candidates than the others in the Dicastery.
Dear Holy Spirit, Bless this process and those involved in it with wisdom and vision. Send us good bishops, good shepherds, to guide us and encourage us along the way. AMEN