Anne Harriss
Anne Harriss

Benedict XVI Publishes Prayer: "Faith Endangered”

It should be remembered that, at least until the present pope, popes in general would choose a bishop from a lits of three recommended candidates. It was (still is?) the job of the papal nuncio in a give region or country to prepare such a list. Therefore, if the nuncio had a corrupt agenda of his own, then those on the list were already compromised or known as useless. And those lists were presented …More
It should be remembered that, at least until the present pope, popes in general would choose a bishop from a lits of three recommended candidates. It was (still is?) the job of the papal nuncio in a give region or country to prepare such a list. Therefore, if the nuncio had a corrupt agenda of his own, then those on the list were already compromised or known as useless. And those lists were presented to the Pope as bona fide candidates for the episcopate. This happened also under Pope St JP II, of course. So although we are dismayed at the number of bad bishops, archbishops and cardinals, we cannot lay the fault squarely on the shoulders of the Pope who named them. And wasn't it Pope Benedict XVI who said to someone that his power did not go beyond the other side of his office door?