1. Qualifications
To be eligible for election and service as Ordinary, an individual must meet the following criteria:
• A member of the Ordinariate in good standing.
• Ordained to the presbyterate or episcopate in valid apostolic succession.
• If married, possesses the support of their spouse to assume the role.
• Free from any current ecclesiastical censure or discipline.
• Free from any current civil or criminal proceeding, save minor vehicular violations.
2. The Election of an Ordinary
When circumstance dictates the election of a new Ordinary, the following procedure shall be followed:
A. Intent to elect a new Ordinary shall be published throughout the Ordinariate on the fifteenth day of a given month.
B. On the first day of the subsequent month, a one-month period of intense prayer for the Ordinariate shall begin, with special intention that the Holy Spirit guide its members through the election process.
C. On the first day of the following month, a ten-day window will open to nominate candidates for the position. Nominations may come from any vowed member of the Ordinariate in good standing, regardless of their role or state. Nominees must be bishops or priests.
D. On day eleven, the nominated candidates are notified, and are offered the opportunity to decline standing for election.
E. On day fifteen, the candidates who have not declined standing are publicly released, and a period of prayer and fasting is declared through the first of the following month.
F. On the first day of the third month of the election sequence, the General Chapter meets (preferably in person, but by technological means if necessary) to elect a candidate.
G. A bishop of a jurisdiction with which the Ordinariate enjoys fellowship should be invited to preside at the Election. In the absence of such an individual, the outgoing Ordinary, the Vicar General, or another priest of the Ordinariate who is not sitting for election may preside.
H. A ‘straw poll’ is held, to determine if there is initial consensus for a candidate. The presider shall assign each candidate a number (known only to the presider) to be written on their polling sheet. Should the straw poll reach a unanimous selection (save for the individual selected), the presider shall, before announcing the consensus, ask the assembled electors if there are any who have reservations about their choice. If the answer is no, the presider shall disclose the consensus candidate, and ask them if they accept election.
I. Should a consensus candidate decline, or should no consensus candidate be immediately apparent, balloting shall commence.
J. Any individual who receives seventy percent of the vote in a round of balloting shall be considered the winner of the election and shall be approached and asked if they accept election.
K. Should an elected candidate decline, the process will be repeated.
L. Any candidate selected by consensus or election may be chosen up to three times and is then disqualified from the current round of balloting.
M. The process may go no further than ten rounds of balloting. After ten rounds, the General Chapter is adjourned for a period of fourteen days, and the cycle is repeated. During the intervening days, any candidates who declined election are asked if they wish to remain on the ballot for subsequent rounds.
N. Subsequent elections occur at fifteen-day intervals and follow the process beginning at §2-F above.
O. Once a consensus or elected candidate accepts, the General Chapter is notified of the acceptance.
P. Upon confirmation, the current Ordinary and the Ordinary-Elect shall work together to establish a date for consecration to the episcopacy by no less than three bishops in apostolic succession, and subsequent installation as Ordinary. This process should nominally occur within ninety days, unless the General Chapter agrees to delay the Ordination and Installation until the next scheduled gathering of either the Clericus or the General Chapter.
3. Election of a Co-adjutor
It may be deemed advantageous by the General Chapter to select a co-adjutor to the office of Ordinary while the incumbent remains in office, either because the incumbent is aging, considering retirement, or has health concerns; or because the good of the Ordinariate, as discerned by the General Chapter, demands it.
A. In such an instance, the procedure for the election of an Abbot Bishop is followed, except that the incumbent Ordinary leads the Election.
B. Upon confirmation by the General Chapter, the role is automatically conferred upon a bishop so elected, and there is no formal ceremony of installation.
C. Upon confirmation by the General Chapter of a candidate who is a presbyter, they should be consecrated to the episcopacy at the next Clericus or General Chapter, with the current Ordinary serving as the principal consecrator, together with at least two other bishops in apostolic succession.
D. The co-adjutor assume the role of Vicar General when the term of the current Vicar General concludes, with no prejudice whatsoever to the incumbent Vicar General.
5. The Vacancy of the See
Should the Ordinary retire, resign, be removed through due process, or decease, the See is held to be vacant. In such an event:
A. Should there be a co-adjutor who has been consecrated to the Episcopacy, they immediately assume the role of Ordinary, and shall be formally installed within ninety days.
B. Should there be no co-adjutor, the Vicar General declares the See to be Vacant and, during the interregnum, manages the day-to-day operations of the Ordinariate, ensuring that the election process moves forward.
1. As a matter of general course, the Ordinary should make clear arrangements made with a bishop in apostolic succession with whom the Ordinariate enjoys a bond of fellowship to extend apostolic authority for the continued provision of the Sacraments in the event of an unanticipated vacancy of the See.
2. Should the external bishop decline at the time of a vacancy, a bishop who is a member of the Ordinariate at the time of the vacancy should extend their apostolic authority to the clergy so that the provision of the Sacraments may continue uninterrupted. Should there be more than one bishop, the senior bishop by date of consecration shall hold right of first refusal.
6. Removal of the Ordinary
Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to consider the removal of the Ordinary. These reasons include, but are not limited to:
- Abandonment of the Christian faith.
- Intentional teaching of falsehood in violation of Scripture, the Creeds, and the theological declarations of this jurisdiction.
- Violation of ordination vows.
- Commission of Simony.
- Violation of the Seal of the Confessional.
- Neglect of personal godliness by failing to be an example to the flock.
- Failure to lead the church into maturity and faithfulness due to laziness, incompetence, or greed.
- Commission of acts of abuse or neglect – physical, mental, or spiritual.
- Conviction in a civil or criminal case of grave consequence.
A. In the event of any accusation against the Ordinary, the accused should be given the opportunity for a defense and/or the ability to respond to goldy correction prior to the initiation of legal proceedings.
B. Should the Ordinary’s defense or response to correction prove insufficient, formal charges are to be brought by the General Chapter.
1. In such an instance, the Ordinary shall make no decisions of any type, preside at no meetings, and conduct no business (administrative, financial, or sacramental - save for emergency needs and immediate provision for those committed to his local care) on behalf of the Ordinariate.
2. Any attempt to ordain an individual while formal charges are pending or a trial is underway will automatically be considered null and void, even when proper form and matter are used. Since ordination within the jurisdiction requires freedom to act on the part of the Ordinary, the attempt to ordain while under charge is considered to be a defect in intention.
C. The Vicar General, or in the absence of a Vicar General, an individual appointed by the General Chapter shall contact three bishops who are not members of the Society, and who have no perceptions of undue allegiance to the Ordinary or to the accuser(s) in the matter, to serve as an impartial judiciary in the matter.
1. The Ordinary and the accuser(s) have the right to challenge the selection of any bishop to serve on the judiciary board if they can prove that the bishop approached might be prejudicial to their case.
2. Notwithstanding the right to a non-prejudicial board, the Ordinary may not use the provision to object unduly and repeatedly, and if such a pattern is noted, a summary judgement may be rendered by the General Chapter.
D. The General Chapter shall select a presenter to serve as the prosecution for the judicial proceeding. The Ordinary may represent himself, or retain counsel during the proceedings.
E. All evidence pertaining to the case shall be made available to all parties.
F. The deliberations of the bishops shall be private, though a written summary of the findings shall be provided at the time the judgement is rendered.
G. The bishops may impose a penalty other than removal if it is determined that the matter of conviction rises to the level of dismissal from office.
H. The penalties imposed upon the guilty party are of immediate effect.