Changes in Canadian episcopate (Canada).

Ottawa--Canon Law requires all bishops to submit their resignations on their 75th birthday. At least 10 Canadian bishops will shortly attain this age. The regulation means that there will be major changes in CCCB membership over the next two years.

The bishops concerned are Archbishop James H. MacDonald (St. John's, NF), Archbishop Francis Spence (Kingston, ON), Bishop John Sherlock (London, ON), Bishop John O'Mara (St. Catherines, ON), Bishop Robert Lebel (Valleyfield, QC), Bishop Jean-Guy Hamelin (RouynNoranda, QC) and Bishop Jean Gratton (Mount Laurier, QC).

In addition, new appointments are still awaited in the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan, following the sudden death of Archbishop Henri Goudrault (July 1998), and in the dioceses of Grand Falls (NF), St. Paul (AB), and Kamloops (BC), following the appointment of Bishops Faber MacDonald and Thomas Collins to Saint John (NB) and Edmonton (AB) respectively, and the early retirement of Kamloops Bishop Laurence Sabatini.

The Ukrainian Eparchy of Saskatoon is also currently vacant following the transfer of Bishop Cornelius Pasichny to Toronto. Archbishop Hacault (St. Boniface, MB) died of cancer on April 14.

There may also be difficulties with the position of Toronto Auxiliary Bishop John Knight, who has been placed on "administrative leave" while an allegation of sexual misconduct is being investigated by the Toronto Archdiocese. As one of his last functions, Bishop Knight attended the January 25, 2000, meeting of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (I.C.E.L) on behalf of the Canadian episcopacy.

While the Pope has the final say on the appointments, the choice of new bishops is greatly influenced by recommendations from the office of the Papal Nuncio to Canada. The current Nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Romeo, took up his appointment last year.