I have arrived in the UK.
After taking the Gatwick Express to Victoria and then transferring to the Underground to get to my destination, I am now enjoying the hospitality of the the great English clerical blogger, and pastor, and scholar, and seminary prof, and a rumored front-runner for the Archdiocese of Westminster, Fr. Tim Finigan.
I am very tired, but that’s how it goes.
UPDATE:
In the spirit of American-style electioneering, since I am told that I too was nominated (no doubt my some trouble-maker) for the post of Westminster on Damien Thompson`s blog, I gladly endorse Fr. Finigan.
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If Fr Finigan gets Westminster “Mene, mene, tekel & parsin,” will spontaneously appear on the dining room wall of every episcopal residence in England and Wales.
God hasten the day!
* I am very tired, but that’s how it goes * Ohhh there there…. such is the circumstance of the
constantly globetrotting priest. Buck up already. Oh wait, on to Rome next? Well, that IS tough.
Glad to hear you arrived safely, Father!
Fr Ó Buaidhe: LOL!
Actually, Fr. Finigan tied for second on Thompson’s poll with Cardinal Pell – Fr.Aidan Nichols, O.P., came in first.
Salutations from our lonely outpost on Hadrian’s Wall. Welcome. Hope you enjoy your stay, as much as we have anticipated having you amongst us.
And if Fr. Z get’s a diocese in the U.S. that same silvery hand will be writing on the walls in this country as well!
Msgr. Ó Bráincín, Tulsa, OK
I can see the High Mass already… smell the incense… visualise the lovely chasuble, dalmatic, tunicle… the well-trained servers… the good choir… oh, to be in Blackfen.
…then I wake up and find myself in front of the trestle table in my 1980s local worship space during the 5 minute intro talk after the “Well good morning friends and welcome to OUR celebration… yadda, yadda, yadda”, realising with a sinking heart that this will be only the first of about 4 such improvised sermonettes during “OUR celebration”, not much of which will co-incide with what’s in the large-ish book lying flat on said picnic table beside the (very) large mike. *SIGH*
ALL: I am tired, but not too tired to head into Town for some supper. During my brief jaunt through Victoria Station I topped off my UK Vodafone cellular number and obtained my very own Oyster Card (I think the reference must be “The world is my oyster”, or some such optimistic sentiment). It sure costs a pearl of great price to do anything here, what with the dollar the way it is. A kind soul today sent a donation that nearly covered my transport from Gatwick!
More later when I am not so jet-lagged and I have something to report.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t a candidate for the episcopate need a doctoral degree?
I’m praying for either Fr. Nichols or Msgr. Conlon to be raised to the See of Westminister.
NOOOO! Father Z can’t take that job, he’s destined for other things, I’ve got it all figured out!
Cardinal Arinze retirement at the Congregation for Divine Worship is imminent. When that happens, Archbishop Ranjith will be promoted to take his place. That opens up the Secretary of the CDW position for the obvious candidate – Card…. er.. Father Zuhlsdorf!
And I dream of a “Candid Z-cam” moment that captures that phone call…
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t a candidate for the episcopate need a doctoral degree?
No. I don’t have a link to the requirements, but I do know that Bishop Jaime Soto has only a Masters degree.
http://www.diocese-sacramento.org/diocesan_bishop/coadjutor_bishop/bishop_soto_biography.html
dcs – the regulations in canon law about the academic qualifications for bishops, like most requirements of the Magisterium, don’t apply in the UK. The bishops choose a clone of their own ilk, inform the Nuncio and he gets the letter signed.
Cynical, but true. Few of our bishops have any academic, let alone theological, qualifications.
Our chances of getting someone of the calibre of Fr Fininan, or indeed Fr Aidan Nichols, are virtually non-existent.
Welcome to Blackfen. Looks like you have arrived just in time for the only bit of snow we get in a year…
Dear Father,
Fr Tim knows me. If you are in the West country at all, you would be most welcome to pay a State Visit to my parish.
Fr Alex Redman
The requirements for a Bishop are as follows:
Can. 378 §1 To be a suitable candidate for the episcopate, a person must:
1° be outstanding in strong faith, good morals, piety, zeal for souls, wisdom, prudence and human virtues, and possess those other gifts which equip him to fulfil the office in question;
2° be held in good esteem;
3° be at least 35 years old;
4° be a priest ordained for at least five years;
5° hold a doctorate or at least a licentiate in sacred Scripture, theology or canon law, from an institute of higher studies approved by the Apostolic See, or at least be well versed in these disciplines.
§2 The definitive judgement on the suitability of the person to be promoted rests with the Apostolic See.
Oh, never mind, I see that Fr. Z is suitable for episcopal consecration after all:
Father,
If you think you’ll have time to make a short (all-expenses paid) journey to the West of Ireland during the 2nd half of your sojourn in this neck of the woods (and maybe say Mass for a few deprived souls) say “Maybe”, please!
Irulats
**Glad you’re safe and sound, Father. Enjoy your visit.
Now, what are you folks talking about, this one or that one getting a diocese? Do you mean the possibility of someone getting a bishopric? Really? Father Z also? Someone let me in on this.**
dcs mentions: Oh, never mind, I see that Fr. Z is suitable for episcopal consecration after all
Perhaps coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Or would that be coagitator?
Okay, everyone… enough of this rubbish about episcopal consecration. It is not going to happen – ever. Nor, happily, will it even be considered.
If anyone read what some saints had to say about the office of bishops, (Jerome, Bernard, Paul, etc.) they would not wish such a burden for anyone. As St. Jerome says: not facit ecclesiastica dignitas christianum. (One does not become more christian on account of ecclesiastical rank).
A bishop recently remarked to me ‘Anybody who seriously wants to be a bishop deserves the penance of being made one’.
Newman wrote:
“A bishop recently remarked to me ‘Anybody who seriously wants to be a bishop deserves the penance of being made one.”
()
LOL That’s a hoot. Must be a from an actually humble bishop. With all the horrid ones we have plaguing the Church, especially the USA, it is considered by those ones to be empowerment of their agendas at long last.
Michael Fudge quoted:
“Can. 378 §1 To be a suitable candidate for the episcopate, a person must:
1° be outstanding in strong faith, good morals, piety, zeal for souls, wisdom, prudence and human virtues, and possess those other gifts which equip him to fulfill the office in question…”
()
Do you really think these criterias for the episcopacy are really followed?
Do the Popes really know whom they are elevating?
Often times the Popes have no clue whatsoever and merely “Approve” them in rubber-stamp fashion. Welcome to reality of your Church.