Bishop Edward U. Kmiec's 75th birthday Sunday means that the man who
oversaw the historic downsizing of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo must
submit his letter of resignation to the pope.
But it remains to be seen how much longer Kmiec will stay at the
helm of the diocese or when exactly his successor will be named. Kmiec
said in a recent interview that he has no objection to staying around
for as long as he is asked.
"I think we've got a wonderful diocese in every aspect," he said in a
recent interview. "It's been a joy to me, and it continues to be."
Catholic canon law requires that bishops submit letters of
resignation to the pope once they turn 75.
Kmiec plans to send his
letter to Pope Benedict XVI next week, setting in motion the highly
secretive Vatican process of finding a successor.
The resignation letter itself doesn't change any of Kmiec's powers or duties as bishop.
But when the pope names a new bishop for Buffalo, Kmiec will become
"administrator" of the diocese, with reduced faculties, until his
successor is installed.
The whole process is expected to take several months, and possibly longer than a year.
Six bishop seats in the United States already are vacant. In
addition, six dioceses currently have bishops serving past the age of
75, and five dioceses, aside from Buffalo, have bishops turning 75 this
year, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The significant number of openings and pending openings -- as well as
the relative stability of the Buffalo diocese following a tumultuous
few years of parish restructuring -- could mean that the Vatican will
ask Kmiec to stay on for quite a bit longer.
Kmiec tackled the unenviable and heavily criticized task of
downsizing the diocese from 274 parishes and missions in 2005 to 170
parishes and missions today.
The impact of the restructuring will be
felt for years to come, and some Catholics maintain the church closings
caused irreparable harm to the diocese.
But diocesan leaders and other lay Catholics say that Kmiec showed
fortitude and foresight by sticking to an effort that will strengthen
the practice of the faith in the long run.
Kmiec said he was responding to a real need that came through loud
and clear in conversations across the diocese during his first 12
months.
"People said, 'We've got to do something about our size,'" recalled the bishop.
The diocese now is configured for its present circumstances, he added.
"It's not perfect maybe, but certainly it's better than it was," he said.
The diocese was able to sell its properties to "reputable sources,"
he added, and many of the merged parishes have moved forward in renewed
faith.
"There's still a nice energy and momentum to the diocese," Kmiec said. "We keep going."
The bishop's seat in Buffalo was last vacant for about 10 months in
2003 and 2004, following the departure of the Rev. Henry J. Mansell, who
was installed in 2003 as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford.
Kmiec will spend part of his birthday engaged in one of the most
ancient rituals of Catholic bishops -- the ordination of candidates for
the priesthood.
Steven A. Jekielek and Daniel J. Serbicki are scheduled to receive
the sacrament of Holy Orders today, and they will be the 17th and 18th
priests ordained by Kmiec since his arrival in Buffalo in 2004.
"To have that moment, as you lay hands on a man's head, and you say,
'I'm passing on the Holy Spirit and dedicating this man for the service
of God's church,'" said Kmiec, was a "special power" bestowed upon
bishops.
It could end up being Kmiec's final ordination as bishop of Buffalo,
as the diocese doesn't have any other seminarians lined up for
ordination until next spring.
How long area Catholics will have to wait for their next bishop is unclear.
The most recent appointment of a U.S. bishop was May 26 in the
Diocese of Rapid City, S.D., nearly nine months after the previous
bishop left for a larger diocese. Catholics in the Diocese of
Evansville, Ind., learned of the appointment of their new bishop six
months after the previous bishop submitted his resignation letter.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan, leader of the Archdiocese of New York City,
could play a key role in the search for Kmiec's successor. In his role
as archbishop of the New York province, Dolan is expected to gather from
his fellow bishops across the state names of priests recommended to
become bishops.
At a province meeting, the bishops vote on which names to forward to
the apostolic nuncio, the papal representative in Washington, D.C.,
according to the USCCB, which has compiled a fact sheet on the bishop
selection process.
The nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, investigates potential
candidates, gathers facts and makes recommendations to the Congregation
for Bishops, a department of the Roman curia that handles episcopal
appointments.
The nuncio typically receives detailed input from as many as 30
people, confidentially, about each candidate before preparing a report
listing his top three candidates.
From there, the congregation of about 35 cardinals and archbishops
studies the nuncio's documentation and makes a recommendation that is
passed on to the pope by the congregation's prefect, currently Cardinal
Marc Ouellet of Canada, in a private audience.
The pope typically makes the final decision within days.
The Congregation for Bishops then notifies the nuncio, who contacts
the candidate and asks if he will accept the position, according to the
USCCB.
If the candidate answers affirmatively, the Vatican is called and an announcement date is set.
Kmiec, who was bishop of the Diocese of Nashville for 12 years prior
to his Buffalo
appointment, remembers well his conversation with the
nuncio in 2004 about moving.
"After the exchange of some pleasantries, he advised me, in the usual
form that I heard before: 'I have good news for you. It is in the Holy
Father's mind to appoint you bishop of Buffalo. Do you accept?' So
simple, so direct," Kmiec recalled in a column he wrote for the June
issue of Western New York Catholic.
"To be so honored by the Holy Father
... there is no real way to say no, but rather to offer gratitude and
pledge to do one's best."