Is there an informal policy about the nomination of bishops from outside the dominant ethnic group?
I believe there’s no written policy. The nuncio doesn’t actually make the appointments, because he relies on what the bishops give him. We all, in the name of ‘Africanization’ and ‘inculturation,’ veered too far in the direction of ethnic preference without thinking of the consequences. It’s only now we’re beginning to realize that using that as a yardstick is certainly against the idea of being a ‘catholic’ church. Is the pendulum today swinging toward naming bishops from outside the dominant ethnic group? The policy should be to find the best guy, period. We bishops have a duty to start educating our priests and laity to know that we must transcend the confines of ethnicity in the choice of leadership. It has to be the guy who’s best qualified, and we shouldn’t see it through a tribal lens. Some say that the hold of tribalism is weaker on younger Africans, especially those who live in cities. I think that’s normal. The young people are more exposed, they’ve travelled more, they’re no
