Pope says Catholic Church needs more decentralization, changes to papacy

[rug]

(Pope Francis talks during a special audience to mark the 50th anniversary of Synod of Bishops in Paul VI hall at the Vatican October 17, 2015. REUTERS/Tony Gentile)

By Reuters Staff
October 20, 2015

Pope Francis called on Saturday for “healthy decentralization” of power in the Roman Catholic Church, including changes in the papacy and greater decision-making authority for local bishops.

Francis made his comments at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Synod of Bishops, a worldwide gathering that occasionally advises the pope on a host of issues.

Over the years, many bishops have complained that the synod, which meets at the Vatican every few years, has become a weak and ineffective rubber-stamping body.

The Argentine pope said the type of collegiality – the papal governing of the Church in collaboration with bishops – envisaged by the reforming 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council still had not been achieved.

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/10/20/pope-says-catholic-church-needs-more-decentralization-changes-to-papacy/

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1. I sometimes wonder if the church would be better served

I sometimes wonder if the church would be better served by having Bishops/Archbishops nominated and then elected by people of the diocese, similar to what they did in the early years of the church?

[rug]

2. Do you think that has worked for the Episcopal Church?

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3. Mostly yes

The process is good but it's not perfect though. It got us Heather Cook - the former Bishop who killed a man when she hit him while driving drunk and texting while driving - who followed that up by leaving the scene of the crime. It's gotten us some real pieces of work, such as Robert Duncan and Mark Lawrence. But it has also given us some good men and women to serve as our leaders, such as our soon to be brand new Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. I think it's better in that we get people who represent what we want in leaders instead of the top down process the Catholics use that gets us men who are most in line with what a particular Pope wants and not what the local diocese needs.

Technically a majority of the standing committees of all the Dioceses have to consent to the election. But that's really a formality. Most times both the standing committees will readily consent to an election of whoever is chosen. It's only happened a dozen times in church history that an election failed because they didn't get enough standing committees to say yes, and the last time was over 50 years ago. Also a majority of the House of Bishops have to give their consent as well.

[rug]

4. There has to be lay input. I'm not sure of hoe to do it.

If I remember correctly, the Vatican asks the national conference of bishops for three nominations to a vacant see, one of whom is usually selected. That is not a good model because it leaves out too many voices and the nominations and selections are made by too few.

On the other hand, I don't think a form of western representative democracy is a particularly good ecclesiastical model either.

Neither is the ancient method of acclamation nor the appointment by a monarch or a government, ratified by Rome good models.

I'm sure there are other forms out there but nothing comes to my mind. Something must change though.