Regarding the Ordination of a Bishop for the Diaspora
Regarding the Ordination of a Bishop for the Diaspora
His Holiness the Pope received many questions in the Diaspora, and answered them in the general meetings, including:
Question
We are waiting for Your Holiness’s promise to ordain a bishop for the Diaspora… So what has been done regarding this matter? And why has it been delayed?
Answer
I was asked to ordain a bishop for the Diaspora, and had it happened that I responded to this request at that time, we would have made a grave mistake, because the Diaspora is absolutely not sufficient for one bishop.
The countries of the Diaspora include at least Europe, Canada, America, and Australia… So is one bishop enough for all these regions?! This is of course unreasonable, because of the overwhelming distance between these countries, encompassing oceans and continents…
Also, the number of churches has increased greatly. We said that in Europe there are 28 churches, in Canada 9 churches, in America 41 churches, and in Australia 14 churches… That is, the total now is 92 churches, apart from what is being found (the requests in America have reached 11 requests), meaning that the number will exceed one hundred.
Therefore, the phrase “a bishop for the Diaspora” has become unsuitable for the huge present expansion in the number of churches, on the level of three continents..
The study of these regions and the organization of their service remains…
Even America alone is no longer suitable to be shepherded by one bishop, and its number will perhaps reach fifty churches within a year, God willing… Also, the distances between the churches are very great. The distance, for example, from Jersey to Los Angeles, may be approximately the distance between England and America…
Therefore, America alone is not suitable to be shepherded by one bishop.
He cannot manage to shepherd this large number of churches, just as he cannot live flying from one place to another. It is preferable to divide America into regions, so that it becomes easier to concentrate the service in them, as happened with regard to the dioceses in Egypt.
Therefore, there was a measure of wisdom in taking things slowly, and it involved further study.
And matters have begun to become clear to us now, and it has become much, much easier for us to have a sound vision than before.
And I would like to tell you, my beloved children, an important truth, namely:
We are currently in the stage of establishing the churches of the Diaspora. And it is a stage in which I do not work alone, but a synodal committee of the fathers, the bishops, also works with me, as you see…
And this is undoubtedly much better during the stage of establishment. Because collective work in it is undoubtedly better than individual work that could be undertaken by one bishop…
Therefore, God willing, I will send you a group of the fathers, the bishops, for further study, and to know what the Mother Church can do on your behalf, for your good, in order to provide you with the necessary pastoral care…
I will send you, God willing, His Grace Anba Moussa, Bishop of Youth, to care for the youth, and to study their condition and needs.
Where he holds conferences for youth in various regions, and studies the condition of the youth of the Diaspora, their requests and needs, and what the Church can do for them… and presents to us a comprehensive report about all of that.
Likewise, the condition of Sunday Schools and what they require will be studied…
And I will send you, God willing, for the family and social service, Their Graces Anba Paula and Anba Serapion.
This is for holding conferences for the family, knowing what can be done for its sake, and studying matters related to marriage and divorce… and studying cases of mixed marriage, civil marriage, and civil divorce, and what the Ecclesiastical Council has concluded in its report concerning all of that.
Some bishops also work for the administrative system of the churches, and matters related to that of Constitutions, Bylaws.
And I will also send you bishops for visitation and pastoral care, as happens in the many visits of His Grace Anba Roueiss to you, especially in Canada and some countries of America.
And when the Church in the Diaspora is organized, then bishops will be assigned to serve it.
Quiet, meticulous, studied pastoral work is much better than rapid work that is done without study, and which may cause mistakes that we regret…
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