[Catholic Caucus]Bishop’s Election in the Swiss Diocese of Chur Highlights Local Catholic Divisions

National Catholic Register ^ | December 4, 2020 | Solène Tadié

[ebb tide]

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop’s Election in the Swiss Diocese of Chur Highlights Local Catholic Divisions

The three-candidate list proposed by the Holy See was rejected by the diocese’s Cathedral Chapter, who have the ecclesiastical privilege to elect their bishop, reportedly for being too progressive.

Saint Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Chur, Switzerland. (photo: Aydin Hassan)

Solène Tadié

Vatican

December 4, 2020

Switzerland’s Diocese of Chur, which was supposed to welcome a new bishop following the vote of the cathedral chapter on Nov. 23, is still vacant — because the cathedral’s 22 canons unexpectedly have rejected all three candidates proposed by the Vatican. 

A year and a half after Bishop Vitus Huonder retired at the conclusion of a 12-year tenure in May 2019, the trilingual diocese, which extends over seven Swiss cantons, including that of Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, and encompasses 308 parishes, remains in uncertainty pending Pope Francis’ reaction to the failed election. In the meantime, the diocese will be run by apostolic administrator Bishop emeritus Peter Bürcher of Reykjavik, Iceland, who has been in charge since Bishop Huonder left office.  

Since the 15th century, by virtue of the 1448 Concordat of Vienna and then the 1948 papal decree Etsi Salva, the Chapter of Chur has been enjoying the rare ecclesial privilege of electing its bishops.

[ebb tide]

The three-candidate list proposed by the Holy See was rejected by the diocese’s Cathedral Chapter, who have the ecclesiastical privilege to elect their bishop, reportedly for being too progressive.

The francischurch gets a shot across its bow.

[utahagen]

This is GREAT!