Thursday, January 4, 2007
Screening New Bishops
Father Thomas Euteneuer, President of Human Life International, recently wrote an answer in his question and answers forum, concerning Priests and Bishops. I LOVE what he suggests Rome should use for criteria for making a priest a bishop.
Fr. Euteneuer’s three-point survey for screening new bishops
Every priest who aspires to be a bishop aspires to a worthy thing according to 1 Tim 3:1. However, the test should be tough because the job is tough. Bishop-aspirants should be required to submit the following information to the Vatican for review of their qualifications for the Catholic episcopacy:
- List the titles and subject matter of your last three years of sermons and a full inventory of letters of protests, walk-outs, personal threats and loss of collection revenues that you have sustained in that period of time;
- List the number of engaged couples that you have effectively convinced to stop fornicating and living together before marriage, or alternatively list how many couples have scolded you in preparation courses with the line about “this is the 21st century, etc.”; then indicate how many of the remaining couples have persevered in the Sacrament through their seventh wedding anniversary through your pastoral assistance;
- Please indicate the number of “Catholics” in your diocese that you have rebuked for public scandal to the Faith; please submit hard copies of your letters to them and the threatening letters from their lawyers or actual lawsuits that have been generated by your actions. No fewer than a dozen such letters will suffice for this application;
- One other minor item will assist the Vatican Congregation for Bishops in its evaluation of your fitness for high ecclesiastical office: please provide proof that you actually have been banished to the most destitute parish or dead-end assignment in your diocese because of your orthodoxy.
Labels: Miscellaneous
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