The Apostolic Delegate (or Nuncio) is, and also the bishops are: by choosing which clergy are sent to study for advanced degrees in the sacred sciences, they influence which priests can be considered in the future for the responsibilities of a bishop.

I believe that memorable scene occurred during WYD in Rio at the Copacabana Beach Mass.

Ahem: The mentality and intellectual maturity of our bishops is that 'about what is important'! And that is more than 'a little perspective'.

The event to which I referred above was in Rome. The event pictured above is another event, though an equally disappointing one.

It is, indeed!

The Apostolic Delegate (or Nuncio) is, and also the bishops are: by choosing which clergy are sent to study for advanced degrees in the sacred sciences, they influence which priests can be considered in the future for the responsibilities of a bishop.

Exactly. Thank you. As it happens, a new priest at my parish was taught by the priest whom I mentioned (EDIT post-split: See this post.), and the lessons, however brief, were not entirely lost on him, though he lacks the tools to stand his ground.

While I was disappointed to learn of how little attention is paid to liturgical matters in the training of these (future) priests, I was also encouraged by this man, who is himself headed to Rome to complete his terminal degree (with the blessings of the bishop, one presumes), and intends to return to the seminary and change the curriculum. Will he and others, like-minded, succeed? I have no idea, but I refuse not to hope.

A 1995 article by canonist Ed Peters foresaw a "coming bishop crunch" around 2005-2007, a span in which (he estimated) 45 US diocesan bishops and archbishops would have to be replaced. His suggestions for ensuring a supply of suitable candidates are pertinent now as they were then:

* reduce the number of openings by combining small dioceses
* reduce the use of auxiliary bishops
* consider foreign priests for American sees
* send suitable candidates for advanced study, even though this means reducing their availability for service in the diocese
* give younger priests longer, more stable assignments so that they can see the long-term effects of pastoral decisions

It is interesting that the issue of decentralization and synodality has not gone away. Robert Pentin reports that the Secretary of Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Baldisseri, has announced a seminar in February studying synodality and the Pope's vision for" a more collegial, decentralized and “listening” Church."

Baldisseri said "the Pope wants collegiality “to be deepened,” to follow a “circular path, from the bottom to the top and top to the bottom.” It is a “way of conceiving the Church as a living organism that moves at different levels, with no stagnant compartments,” he said."

A friend of mine, a mom of eight, was recently asked to offer her thoughts on the vocation crisis at a meeting at the chancery, and I wonder if that's part of a new effort to "listen" to the laity.

She was planning to say that she believes it's the over-feminization of the liturgy and the lack of masculine role models in the parish youth group that turns her sons off from wanting to be involved in the parish.

(However, what she really wants to say but is too afraid to attempt, is that when her boys serve at the EF Latin Mass, they are very engaged and interested and want to learn more about the Mass and serving at the altar and love going to Mass.)

I admire her courage in telling folks in the chancery that "the lack of masculinity at the Novus Ordo" (her words, not mine) is what destroys her sons' potential interest in the priesthood, but I have a feeling that this line of thought is not going to be very effective. Very few of the 1.4 million Catholics on Long Island are going to be sympathetic to her point of view and there will be no frame of reference for her remarks.

It it were I, I'd rather talk about the collapse of the liturgy as it relates to the decline in priestly identity and stay completely away from the gender politics. I remember too well how poor Cardinal Burke was lambasted by Catholics on all sides for his remarks about the feminization of the Church and ended up even alienating traditional Catholic women.

At any rate, it remains to be seen how well her input is going to be received by the diocesan authorities and how "circular" things really are in our local Church. I suspect her remarks will more likely be quietly put in the "circular file" and not influence anything at all.

I think my friend will do a great job, but it's a shame she is afraid to be completely honest and explain how she and her boys really feel and the tremendous difference the EF Latin Mass has made to them.

If I could speak at that chancery meeting and suggest that the decline in priestly vocations was caused by the role revision of priest and laity in the reformed liturgy, I know my argument would be even less well received, but at least it would avoid getting into the weeds over the issue of men vs women and remain focused on the priesthood and the liturgy.

I wonder, though, if Pope Francis really envisioned laywomen like me when he spoke of inverting the pyramid of the Church's structure and declared that "the first level of exercise of synodality is realized in the particular (local) Churches"?

Somehow I think the contributions of a traditional, EF Latin Mass-attending Catholic mom of six children would upset all the proposed models of "synodality" and "decentralization". : )

"I wonder, though, if Pope Francis really envisioned laywomen like me when he spoke of inverting the pyramid of the Church's structure and declared that "the first level of exercise of synodality is realized in the particular (local) Churches"?

With regard to Pope Francis, I think he does. Just not only you. I think Pope Francis's background is such that he's aware how often people don't speak up but rely on silence and others to do the work for them; he's does not have a paralyzing fear of messy, loud, open disagreement that is typical of Catholic prelates (which does not mean that he lacks his own strong views and opinions nor that he's unwilling to boldly state them). I think he's trying to discourage the siloing of viewpoint bubbles in this, seeing such habits as counterproductive in the long term.

Many US dioceses could be split up effectively. We probably have too many metropolitan provinces, though, and their structures could be reformed canonically and otherwise. The practice of having auxiliary bishops should be rarer than it is here. And bishops should be transferred less laterally, and limited more to vertical elevation within a province...

Combining two, or splitting Superior between La Crosse and Green Bay?

How can you tell whether a bishop is qualified-before and after he has been installed?
What is a bishop's purpose in his diocese?

I would venture to guess that Rome has a least two sets of answers to these questions. One set would reflect the theory of episcopal leadership: pastor, head teacher, prayer leader, etc. The other would be more pragmatic: financial officer, administrator, etc.

I would also venture to guess that many on this forum would have a different set of answers largely centering on liturgical style, taste and what many call orthodoxy.

On another board, the criteria might reflect the importance of gender, sexual and, life issues.

Another board might be primarily concerned with how well the bishop observes the "preferential option for the poor".

What is a poor pope to do?

Seriously, how do you judge whether a bishop is qualified or not? I find this very difficult because so often they are clearly very good men, and so often their priorities are not my priorities, even when we have agreed on mutually important issues (like sacred music).

If anyone wants to reply to this post, I suggest that, if you post quotes from church documents, then also tell us how you are personally using the documents to arrive at your criteria for evaluating bishops.

I've seen that sort of advice before:

Please enter your statement in the attached complaint form.

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And Franny Spellman learned his trade at the foot of the master, Cardinal O'Connell....

I wouldn’t blame Sheen for troubles with Spellman, at least not entirely... And things were going nutty when Sheen was in Rochester, so who knows what would have happened in saner times.

To the hoary excuse that the bishops acting like doofballs at the WYD is no big deal, I recall this response:

As a military officer, there were activities that I would engage in while in civilian clothing that I would never do while in uniform. That’s because while in uniform, it’s not about me but about my office and maintaining a level of dignity and decorum for that office because it doesn’t belong to me.

If there is that much demanded of an office in the military, how much more is there for the office for a successor of the Apostles? It IS important.