16 March 2011
Joe Grech, bishop of Bendigo, died suddenly in early in January. The Bendigo diocese - still called Sandhurst in Catholic Church circles - mourned his loss, appointed an Administrator and began a wait. The people and priests of Sandhurst do not know how long they are to wait, who they will get as the next bishop, how long it will take or even how the replacement process really works.
The bishop’s house in Bendigo is called Genazzano. So some wag privately published a Genazzano Cup Form Guide which listed twenty or thirty starters with comments on their chances and their odds. A very funny guide especially if you know the people who were listed as starters.
What is tragic is that such a guide would be amusing. The people most affected by this appointment are not even marginally involved in the selection process. The canon law principle: “what affects all should be decided by all” is mocked as the king makers jostle to get their man in. And their choice will be the man best suited to bolster their faction. Whether he is any good for Sandhurst is the last consideration.
Look at the disproportionate number of Opus Dei members or sympathisers appointed bishop over the last twenty years. And the Salesian Order gets inside running world wide indicating that Cardinal Bertone, the Salesian who is Papal Secretary of State, is a king maker. It is rumoured that Melbourne’s long wait for an Auxiliary Bishop replacement is due to Cardinal Pell’s vetoing Archbishop Hart’s nominee.
The keen observer can see which king maker is getting his boys up. It highlights the faction struggles both at middle and top level. What goes around comes around. In a recent top level factional fight Cardinal Pell was beaten by Cardinal Ouellet of Quebec in the race to head the Congregation of Bishops. That probably means Cardinal Pell is sentenced to another five years in Sydney. He turns 70 this year.
In 1936 the senior priests of Hobart diocese were key players in the election of Justin Simonds as their archbishop. Such participative consultation has since been usurped by episcopal factions. We now just take it as normal that these issues are decided by faceless men upstairs. A decision will be announced sooner or later and the Sandhurst faithful will be expected not only to accept the newly superimposed leader but to be grateful. The Patti Hearst syndrome is alive and well in the church.
Genuine consultation is an ethical pre-requisite in this day and age. Meanwhile the continuance of this system is disgraceful for the faithful of Sandhurst and even unfair on the new bishop – most likely unknown, unwanted and unloved.
En attendant évêques est très bonne idea.I vraiment d'attente, c'est parfois mal à l'aise vous avez besoin d'une longue patience.
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