A joyful congratulatory message from Cardinal Stephen Brislin to Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka, and to the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town.
A joyful congratulatory message from Cardinal Stephen Brislin to Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka, and to the people of the Archdiocese of Cape Town.
Just a question.I know the church is a theocracy.If The diocese still has an assistant bishop ,Is it a reflection on the assistant’s work ethic if he is overlooked?Can a candidate refuse becoming an archbishop during the under scrutiny phase of consultations?
Hi Leon
Firstly, an auxiliary bishop is not appointed to the diocese as such, but as an assistant to the Archbishop. So, he is not ‘second in line’ to the top spot, so to speak. It is definitely – most certainly – not a reflection on the auxiliary bishop’s work ethic. Our auxiliary bishop’s work ethic is impeccable! There are also other factors taken into consideration when choosing an archbishop, one of them being age. The auxiliary bishop is 73 this year, and is required to tender his resignation at 75 years of age, so it would make no sense to make him archbishop. On your second question: yes, there is always the freedom of choice, and he has the right to refuse for good reason.
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Thanks for your response. Now I am better informed.