The laity may start to have a greater say in the appointment of bishops, a member of the Council of Cardinals has said. Cardinal Oswald Gracies, Archbishop of Bombay and one of the Pope’s close advisers, told the National Catholic Reporter in an interview that the Council of Cardinals — also known as the C9, a group of advisors Francis setup a few months after his election in 2013 — are considering whether to give more weight to the laity when choosing bishops.
The nomination of a bishop normally is usually at the behest of neighbouring bishops, the predecessor, apostolic nuncios — which are a form of Vatican ambassador — and the Pope. Though the laity are at times consulted, Cardinal Gracias said, “we have left it to the discretion of the nuncio whether he will” speak to them.
“We were reflecting whether we should not make it obligatory,” the Indian cardinal said.
By forcing the nuncios to consult with laypeople, the process would become more “objective.” If the appointment procedures were formally widened to include members outside the normal clerical gamma, Cardinal Gracias said, a person may be chosen that is better able to interact with his diocese.
