AmericanPapist Comments
Thank you for calling attention to the plight of Sioux Falls Catholics. I consider the terrible delay in finding them a bishop inexcusable.
maybe it's because of the Mahoney they had back in the 20s and 30s
BTW, I believe that no announcements are made in August, since Vatican staff are on vacation, VIS is shut down, etc. Could be wrong but I'm pretty sure about that.
'Cause (as a former Dallasite) I've been waiting to see what happens there . . . (not holding my breath for a quick appointment . . .)
Meg, you are right. I believe the Vatican suspends new bishop appointments during August. Still, you never know...
Further proof of the need to revise the process of choosing bishops in the Latin Rite. Perhaps we should return to a more traditional form where the Diocese itself presents a list of three candidates to Rome rather than relying on a papal nunico who is unfamiliar with the inner workings of a diocese. Just look at the dioceses in California (L.A., Orange, Monterey, Stockton) and tell me that the current process where the Vatican has all the power to choose the bishop--including a bishop who is entirely unfamiliar with a given region--is efficient.
I think I'll post something on my own blog about the need to revise the system in the Latin Rite (Eastern Rites choose their own bishops and then the pope approves/disapproves).
About time somebody else notices. There is nothing wrong with the Bishop of Fargo but we want our own Bishop. Some Eastern Rite Catholics have been fun joking "We have a bishop and you don't. nah nah"
Hopefully they will get their act together or some less scrupulous people will take advantage of the situation by making crank calls.
"Yeah, this is ahhhh... the archdiocese of um, Van Halen, and we need, like a bishop, and like some deep dish. Could you deliver by 8, cause we're like so hungry ... I mean, we really miss having a bishop..."
Last summer, I was in SD for Hubby's grandparents' 65th anniversary. We went to Mass in the tiny parish of Saint Joseph in Wessington Springs, SD. We were shocked to hear that they'd been without a bishop for more than a year already! It seems absolutely bizzare that they are still without!
We should absolutely pray for them, and pray for all of our priests and bishops.
Which August are you guys talking about? It's been 20 MONTHS since SF went vacant, that TWO Augusts, for Pete's sake. How long does it take to find of bishop for functional diocese in a free country?
They should get a priest from Lincoln and make him bishop in Sioux Falls. The priests from there who have been made bishops have done well.
The substance of Thomas' post is indeed accurate, and there are further details which make it all the more disappointing. Some people have even been wondering if we're going to get Bp. Carlson back... something I definitely wouldn't mind, but I think the Lord and the Holy See have other plans in mind.
Especially considering the vote on the abortion ban, it would've been nice to have bishop ordained/installed by October. Alas. Prayers for that are welcome as well.
I found this terribly funny (and sad for the Diocese of Sioux Falls). Unfortunately, I think "no bishop" would be an improvement for some American dioceses. Thanks for passing this nugget along.
Chris Burgwald makes an excellent point. It is absolutely critical that Sioux Falls get a strong, faithful, Bishop ASAP before South Dakota's abortion ban is voted on in November.
Heard on the radio today that someone presenting a SoDak driver's license to a TSA agent at an East Coast airport was asked if South Dakota was part of the United States.
The other tragedy of this situation is that Bishop Aquila (no relation)has been forced to pull double duty. With rumors flying (I don't know if these rumors still hold water) that Bishop Aquila might take over from Abp. Flynn in Minniapolis, it becomes even more imperative to get a bishop in SD. If Aquila is indeed transfered elsewhere, the Dakota's would be left without any bishops, a sad situation.
J.D.- the Dakotas would be left without bishops if Aquila were transferred?
I think Bishop Zipfel of Bismarck and Bishop Cupich of Rapid City might quibble with that statement...
My apologizes, for some reason I was under the impression that each Dakota only had one bishop (i.e. like Wyoming and Utah). Nonetheless, it still becomes an issue if Aquila were moved.
JD's right, with this qualifier: it's *extremely* unlikely that Rome would move Bp. Aquila while he is still ordinary in Fargo and administrator in SF... the delay in getting our new bishop puts a significant delay on a move for Bp. Aquila, as his duties in SF won't end *until our new bishop take possession of the see*. In other words, Bp. Aquila isn't going anywhere for a few months (assuming that we won't here anything for us in SF until mid-September at the earliest, plus 6-8 weeks after that before the ordination/installation).
I'm from albany. I would welcome not having a bishop.
Ed - I was just saying that we're not going to hear anything for at least another couple of weeks. Of course the vacancy is a terrible shame.
Some Eastern Rite Catholics have been fun joking "We have a bishop and you don't. nah nah"
Um, wait. Does this mean there can be two Catholic bishops in one diocese?
Understood! (I won't say what I think about an international news agency that just goes dark for month in the summer...)
Ed, is it run by priests? If so, then obviously they don't have Christmas and Easter off....
Anon - priests are given days off to recompensate them for having to "work" on sundays, feasts. etc. They'll get mondays/tuesdays off, for instance.
But seriously: are you really trying to compare the WHOLE MONTH OF AUGUST on the one hand with some misc. feasts on the other? What's the point?
Uh oh. Easter and Christmas are miscellaneous feasts?
No, I know exactly what you mean. They should probably get something like a week and a half or two weeks off rather than a month. And yes Episcopal appointments have taken a little too long, especially for such typical dioceses. It's not like these are archdioceses or really important cities such as D.C. where the Church always wants to be present. But I agree that there's really no excuse for taking so long just to appoint/ordain new Bishops.
I guess if I were Pope, I'd make sure every diocese has a Bishop as soon as possible. But I'm not the one making the calls.
Maybe we can all learn the good virtue of patience... ;)
Maybe one of the newly "ordained women priests" could appoint herself bishop in order to fill the vacancy???
Anon, you seem unfamiliar with just how many days, besides all of August, Vatican news agencies and other offices are closed. It really is retro. I could go along with it if they were generally on top of things the rest of the time, but they aren't. They simply aren't/
I like the idea Aaron had and think we should start calling all horrible bishops, "Mahoneys"
Our chancellor noted that a quick way for us to get a bishop would be to name our own. Unfortunately, the person being named and those who announced it would find themselves in a spot o' trouble. But we'd probably have a bishop quickly!
Eh, looka, they're in Italy. So everybody takes a-off for August, right? You gotta problem with that? 'Cause-a we don't-a wanna work ourselves into the grave like-a you Americans.
(with semi-apologies for the atrocious stereotype)
The Italian Way is the most sane approach to work I've ever observed. It beats the heck out of the American Way.
Yes I know Ed. They get feast days off.
"Sioux Falls? We filled that vacancy last November ... HUH???? You mean Sioux Falls and Sioux City aren't the same place???????"
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