Dicastery for Bishops prefect discusses selection of new bishops, challenges they face

The prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, explained the fundamental qualities sought when selecting candidates for the episcopate.

In a recent interview with the Croatian Catholic weekly Glas Koncila (Voice of the Council), Iannone elaborated on the role of the Dicastery for Bishops and its interface with the other dicasteries that make up the Roman Curia.

He explained that “the pope meets daily with bishops, both individually and in groups. In those meetings, he highlights the Church’s current priorities: evangelization, care for creation, and other pastoral challenges.”

The pope “reiterates the fundamental characteristics of a bishopʼs life: nurturing oneʼs inner life, prayer, openness to others, a willingness to collaborate, and attentiveness to the marginalized.”

However, “the essential model for every bishop remains Christ, the Good Shepherd.”

Bishops need ‘support’

Iannone visited Zagreb, Croatia, on May 31, the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to celebrate a solemn Mass in honor of Our Lady of the Stone Gate, the patroness of the Croatian capital, and to lead the traditional procession through the city center.

The following day, he delivered a “lectio magistralis” (a formal academic lecture) at the Catholic University of Croatia, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. During his stay in Zagreb, he gave the interview, in which he urged people to pray “with greater conviction” for bishops and priests.

Bishops, he noted, “need spiritual and human support.”

“Criticism may be legitimate, but it is not enough: We must also help and pray for them,” he emphasized, noting that “sometimes we forget that bishops are human beings too, with limitations, difficulties, and moments of discouragement.”

Synodality is not a demand for rights

Iannone underscored that synodality “is not a demand for rights.”

“It’s not simply a matter of claiming the right to express oneself. It means feeling part of a whole and assuming responsibility for it. The more a person lives out his faith and participates in the life of the community, the more valuable his voice becomes, because he (or she) speaks from within the Church rather than from a distance,” he stated.

Addressing the subject of synodality, he warned that applying purely political categories to the Church can be misleading, given its distinct nature.

However, he recalled that the Second Vatican Council taught that all the baptized are responsible for the life and mission of the Church. In this regard, he noted that the faithful must assume responsibilities and that those who govern by virtue of the sacrament of holy orders must allow them to exercise them.

He highlighted the existence of bodies established for this purpose, such as pastoral and finance councils. Likewise, he recalled that canon law recognizes the right and, in some cases, even the duty of the faithful to express their concerns and opinions to their pastors.

The prefect made it clear that the bishop should not bear the burden of governing the diocese alone; rather, “all the faithful must share in that responsibility.”

Growing reluctance among priests to become bishops

Iannone also addressed the phenomenon of priests declining appointments as bishops. “I had heard of this phenomenon before; now I am experiencing it firsthand,” he acknowledged.

“I don’t believe it is solely due to the abuse crisis. Today, a bishop’s responsibilities are far greater, and some priests do not feel prepared to take them on. Diocesan life has become more complex, there are fewer vocations, and the demands of the ministry are constantly increasing,” he explained.

The role of the Dicastery for Bishops

Iannone heads the Dicastery for Bishops, the body responsible for all matters concerning the establishment, life, and activity of dioceses, as well as the identification of candidates for the episcopate who are subsequently presented to the pope for appointment. It also supports bishops in the exercise of their ministry within their respective dioceses.

As Pope Francis’ apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium emphasizes, one of the fundamental characteristics of the Roman Curia is collaboration among the dicasteries.

For this reason, the Dicastery for Bishops works closely with other bodies, such as the Dicastery for the Clergy and the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Each dicastery has a basic structure composed of a plenary assembly made up of all its members, who are appointed by the pope.

“The authority of the dicastery resides in this plenary assembly, presided over by a prefect who directs its day-to-day operations with the assistance of a secretary. The most important decisions are made by the plenary assembly, whose members come from various parts of the world,” he explained.

One of the changes introduced by Pope Francis is that members of the dicasteries need not be exclusively bishops. Priests, religious, and laypeople, both men and women, may also serve on them.

The Dicastery for Bishops, like other bodies of the Curia, “relies on the collaboration of apostolic nuncios, who are well acquainted with the reality of the local Churches,” he noted.

Before assuming his current role, Iannone served as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. In the interview, he highlighted that the Roman Curia “exists to assist the pope in the exercise of his Petrine ministry.”

“As the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ, the pope has the responsibility of governing the universal Church, a task he could not perform alone. That is why he needs collaborators, who constitute the Roman Curia,” he stated. Over time, he added, the Curia “has become increasingly internationalized and specialized.”

“Each body places its specific expertise at the service of the pope to assist him in making decisions. Furthermore, any member of the faithful may express his concerns to the pope or a dicastery,” he explained.

The faithful’s access to the dicastery

“I receive many letters from the faithful around the world pointing out problems in the life of their dioceses. We assess whether those concerns are well founded or the result of misunderstandings. When they are well-founded, we try to intervene to restore serenity to the community. That is why, although the dicasteries may seem distant from the outside, in reality, they are at the service of the pope and the particular Churches,” he noted.

Iannone also highlighted that diversity constitutes “a richness when united with communion,” but warned that when it “turns in on itself, it harms the Church.”

“Today, there is great sensitivity toward local traditions. In this context, the principle attributed to St. Augustine remains valid: ‘In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.’ There must be unity regarding the essential elements of the faith, discipline, and the sacraments. Diversity may exist in other pastoral and practical aspects.”

“The bishop has the responsibility to foster relationships among the various groups and to correct any deviations. He must be a father to the entire community,” he stated.

Addressing the balance between local sensibilities and ecclesial unity, he explained that “the Second Vatican Council taught that the universal Church is present in and arises from particular Churches. This means that a particular Church is fully Church insofar as it remains in communion with the other Churches and with the pope.”

The contribution of women to episcopal discernment

Currently, the women serving on the Dicastery for Bishops are Sister Simona Brambilla, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State; and the Argentine laywoman María Lía Zervino, former president of the World Union of Catholic Womenʼs Organizations.

Iannone views this positively: “Although I have been heading the dicastery for only a few months, I have been able to see the valuable contribution of these women — two religious sisters and a laywoman. They offer distinct perspectives and specific sensitivities that enrich discernment, especially regarding the selection of candidates for the episcopate.”

However, he noted that consulting women is not a completely new practice. “For some time, apostolic nuncios have consulted various members of the People of God, including women, during the investigations preceding episcopal appointments,” he explained.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/what-qualities-does-leo-xiv-consider-indispensable-in-a-bishop