Archbishop of Mobile submits letter to retire after 46 years in the priesthood
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MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The Archbishop of Mobile will submit his letter of retirement to the pope. He spent 46 years in the priesthood and 16 years in his current position.
In a post to Facebook, Archbishop Thomas Rodi said, “church law requires that when a bishop reaches the age of 75, he submits his letter to the pope. So today I will send in my letter of retirement to Pope Francis and then begin a process to select a new archbishop.”
Rodi, a New Orleans native, was ordained into the priesthood on May 20, 1978, and served as an associate pastor at St. Ann and St. Christopher the Martyr parishes.
According to the Archdiocese of Mobile, he was appointed Archbishop of Mobile on April 2, 2008, and installed on June 6, 2008.
Despite Rodi submitting his letter, things will remain the same for the time being.
“Now in the meantime, I continue to serve as Archbishop until Pope Francis informs me otherwise,” he said. “But the process of selecting a new archbishop begins.”
How is a new Archbishop chosen?
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are four steps in selecting a new Archbishop.
Stage 1: Bishops’ Recommendations
Bishops may submit to the area archbishop names of priests they think would make good bishops. A vote is then taken on which names to recommend, which is then sent to the Apostolic Nuncio.
Stage 2: The Apostolic Nuncio
“The pope’s representative in the United States who lives in Washington DC, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Nuncio, as he is called, will begin inquiring as to candidates to become the next Archbishop of Mobile,” Rodi said. “He has already, over the past years, received names from different bishops of possible candidates for various dioceses.”
Stage 3: Congregation for Bishops
The Nuncio then sends his recommendations to the Vatican, according to Rodi.
The office for bishops, or the dicastery for bishops, a panel of cardinals, examines the recommendations and presents them to the pope.
Stage 4: The Pope Decides
According to USCCB, the Congregation for the Bishops presents the recommendations to the Pope privately. The pope is then left to make his decision.
The website notes, “It often takes six to eight months—and sometimes longer—from the time a diocese becomes vacant until a new bishop is appointed.”
Overall, Archbishop Rodi said, “There’s no timeline.”
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“I would just ask that we pray that the holy spirit will guide this process in the selection of our new archbishop.”
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