No Bishop In Austin

At Roman Noon today, Pope Frances named Austin’s Bishop Joe Vasquez as the Archbishop-Elect of Galveston-Houston.

What does this mean for Austin?

It’s about the same as 2009 when I last wrote about this.

Correction from last time, effective immediately, Bishop Vasquez is still the bishop of Austin, but, he is limited to acts of governance aligned to what a diocesan administrator is permitted to do. Likewise, Cardinal DiNardo is still the archbishop of Galveston-Houston, but is limited to what a diocesan administrator can do.

The same article of canon law (418) states that “all powers of the Vicar General” cease. I suppose this means that the Vicar General’s office may continue—Fr. Misko is still the Vicar General—but without any power. Fr. Misko released an office today as the vicar general. Thus, I’m rolling with that view (versus the office totally ceasing; hence, he isn’t the vicar general).

Letter from Fr. Misko to the Diocese of Austin upon the news of the transfer of the Bishop.

In other words, the Bishop’s power within the Diocese of Austin is now limited to one of a temporary steward pending a new bishop. The Vicar General’s role was to assist the bishop in governance, and with his own governance curtailed, the bishop doesn’t need the assistance.

Canon law expects a bishop transferred to another diocese to take “canonical possession” of the diocese within two months of notification of transfer.

This is usually done during Vespers, often the evening before the installation, in the Cathedral. Basically, he shows the senior clergy of the diocese the letter of the Pope appointing him to the diocese, they confirm they look right, and the diocesan chancellor makes the official record. The installation—the usually large public Mass—is when he begins his ministry as the new bishop, but officially, he claimed the chair the previous evening. It isn’t much unlike the Pope is the pope as soon as he accepts the election in the Sistine Chapel, but there’s still a papal installation Mass that is understood as when he starts. Pope Benedict XVI, for example, approved the liturgical texts for his installation as the pope—in his role as pope—between his election and installation.

If the new bishop isn’t already a bishop, the timeline is extended to four months. In both cases, Rome can approve a variance if needed. I have not yet seen an announcement of when Galveston-Houston will welcome their new bishop.

Once Bishop Vasquez takes canonical possession of his new archdiocese, the See of Austin becomes “vacant.” The senior clergy (the college of consultors) is to elect an administrator within eight days. If they can’t or won’t, the Metropolitan Archbishop (in this case, Bishop Vasquez now), is to appoint someone.

The diocesan administrator will govern until the new bishop is elected and takes canonical possession.

The diocesan administrator is not named in the Eucharistic Prayer. This is opposed to the times when the Pope names an “apostolic administrator, ” a bishop who administers the diocese at the request of the Pope and is not simply a diocesan administrator. Bishop Vasquez, for example, was the apostolic administrator of Tyler until their new bishop was appointed. “Joe” was named in the Eucharistic Prayer there.

For us, it’ll be simply “together with your servant, Frances, our Pope, and all those who, holding to the truth, hand on the catholic and apostolic faith” (or whatever the particular text of that Eucharistic Prayer), skipping reference to the bishop.