Anauxiliary bishop is abishop assigned to assist thediocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of thediocese. Auxiliary bishops can also betitular bishops ofsees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
In theCatholic Church, auxiliarybishops exist in both theLatin Church and in theEastern Catholic Churches. The particular duties of an auxiliary bishop are given by the diocesan bishop and can vary widely depending on the auxiliary bishop, theordinary, and the needs of the diocese.[1] In a larger archdiocese, they might be assigned to serve a portion of the archdiocese (sometimes calleddeaneries, regions, or vicariates) or to serve a particular population such as immigrants or those of a particular heritage or language. Canon law recommends that the diocesan bishop appoint an auxiliary bishop asvicar general of the diocese.[2]
In May 2017,Gregorio Rosa Chávez was one of the first Roman Catholic auxiliary bishops to be appointed cardinal. At that time, he was auxiliary bishop ofJosé Luis Escobar Alas, theArchbishop of San Salvador[3] (who was not elevated).
InEastern Orthodox Churches, auxiliary bishops are also calledvicarian bishops or simplyvicar bishops.[4] In theSerbian Orthodox Church, the office of auxiliary (vicar) bishop is entrusted to titular bishops, who are assigned with assisting diocesan bishops in various aspects of diocesan administration. The Greek wordprotosyncellus defines an auxiliary bishop who has been elevated to the dignity of vicarian of another titular bishop, and who is assigned to assist and act on behalf of his episcopal authority over the jurisdiction of theepiscopal see. For example,Teodosije Šibalić (titularbishop of Lipljan) was appointed auxiliary bishop to theEparchy of Raška and Prizren in 2004.
Rock, P.M.J. (1907). "Auxiliary Bishop". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company.| International | |
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