Electing bishops is a Catholic tradition
SIR – In your leading article on the dispute over the appointment of a new bishop of Ahiara, Nigeria (June 16), you describe the Pope’s freedom to appoint bishops without local interference as “a fundamental principle”. If so, it is a fundamental principle of very recent origin.
The traditional practice was the election of bishops by the clergy and people of the diocese, with the duly elected bishop then being recognised by the Pope. Rome only came to play a leading role thanks to the interference of secular rulers in this process.
