PALMERSTON NORTH The first moves towards the appointment of a coadjutor bishop for Palmerston North diocese have taken place. Bishop Peter Cullinane told NZ Catholic that, at his request, the Holy See granted leave in May last year that initial steps be taken.
The bishop wrote to inform priests and people in his diocese about eight months ago. That was so that any eventual announcement would not catch people by surprise, he said.
Church law requires diocesan bishops to offer their resignation to the Pope when they turn 75. Bishop Cullinane is 72.
He said there is no urgency at this time about the process of appointing a coadjutor bishop, who succeeds the current bishop when he leaves office.
But there is obvious merit in having an overlap between my time as a bishop and when my successor is to take over, Bishop Cullinane said.
Succession planning is not an individual affair between one person and another, he continued.
Ensuring appropriate succession is the business of the whole Church.
The appointment process involves extensive consultation, with the apostolic nuncio eventually forwarding a list of three priests to the Holy See. The Pope makes the final decision.
Bishop Owen Dolan became coadjutor in 1995 after Bishop Cullinane suffered health issues. But Bishop Dolan retired in 2004 and is now Bishop Emeritus.
Meanwhile, in Hamilton diocese, Bishop Denis Browne told NZ Catholic that when he gets closer to his 75th birthday it is my intention to apply for a coadjutor [bishop].
Bishop Browne is aged 71.
I always feel sorry for a coadjutor who sits in the wings for too long, Bishop Browne said.
