How a bishop is made: According to the high and low clergy

Habemus Papam. The white smoke that marks the end of conclaves signals the apex of the Catholic hierarchy. But to wear the ring of Peter, a cardinal has a long way to go. A religious career, but no less political for that, begins with a bishopric. The Roman Curia's routine for appointing bishops is the foundation of the Church's temporal power and also the backbone of journalist JD Vital's "How a Bishop Is Made." Accustomed to the minutiae of appointments—he was an advisor to then-governors Tancredo Neves and Hélio Garcia—Vital shows here what the practical preparation of a bishop is like: from the organization of the course to the day-to-day classes. He addresses the role of the pope and the consecration ceremony. He analyzes the aspects that can be decisive in helping priests become bishops. All based on the rules and procedures outlined in the Code of Canon Law. *How a Bishop Is Made* also discusses the main institutions dedicated to preparing priests for the administration of dioceses, such as the Pontifical Pio Brazilian College. Created in 1934 to be a factory for bishops, and inspired by the Latin American Pio College, it graduated more than 1,800 students and filled the gap in ecclesiastical education in the country. Vital also researched newspaper and magazine articles, documents written by members of the clergy, and interviewed bishops and priests to paint a picture of the new Brazilian Church and its relationship with Rome. He explains why the Apostolic Nunciature in Brasília is one of the busiest in the Vatican's global diplomatic network and why Brazil is the country with the largest number of episcopal sees. A fundamental book for understanding one of the oldest—and most important—religious institutions on the planet.