Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Hierarchy update

This morning it was announced that the Holy Father has named Bishop Thomas Rodi of Biloxi, Mississippi as archbishop of Mobile, Alabama. Bishop Rodi is 59 and succeeds Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, the nation's longest-serving metropolitan, who reached the retirement age of 75 back in October 2006.

This appointment adds Biloxi to the list of sede vacante dioceses, which decreased to eight for one day and is now back at nine. It makes sense for a vacancy to be created for a metropolitan (i.e., archdiocesan) see, especially when filled by a bishop from within the metropolitan province, like Rodi.

Archbishop Lipscomb's retirement decreases the number of ordinaries serving past age 75 from eleven to ten. I left Bishop Cullen of Allentown, PA off the list in yesterday's update- it is corrected.

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