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Peyton,
The situation you describe is not all that different from what the church has endured in the past.
You wrote:
- In a different situation, say there was no way of communicating among the faithful in different locations, and there would be no way for the Pope to appoint new bishops in an area, how would the consecration of hosts proceed?
- Would there simply be no consecration, and people would be unable to participate in Communion?
This situation is straightforward. Once a priest is ordained, he retains the power to confect the sacraments, including the Eucharist, until he dies. And any bishop would be able to ordain new priests. Assuming this lack of communication is foreseen to outlast the lifetimes of the bishops, they can consecrate other bishops; while normally this requires a mandate from the Holy See, in an emergency such as this one, they could choose their own candidates. (The Pope appointing all bishops is a rather recent situation; from the 19th century onwards.)
In fact, the very situation you envision has already happened. For various political reasons, the Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon lost touch with the Church of Rome in the 7th century. It was not re-established until the late 11th and early 12th century, at which point communication was restored, and the Pope affirmed them as legitimate Catholics, and they exist to this day.
Bishops are already elected by a synod (standing committee) of bishops in the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Melkite Church and the Ukrainian Church. Theoretically, lay people could be involved in the selection, but at present, they are not. Depending on whether the bishop is being elected for a see in the diaspora or in the natural territory of the Church, it normally requires some level of papal assent, but this is not essential for validity; obvious if it is impossible to obtain papal approval, that is not required.
There have been cases during the 20th century where underground bishops have been selected and ordained without the prior approval of Rome due to duress, and the Holy See has accepted this.
This is what ChatGPT has to say:
Josyf Slipyj was born in 1892 in the village of Zazdrist, in what is now Ukraine. He was ordained as a priest in 1917 and later became a bishop in 1939, appointed by Pope Pius XII. However, his role as a leader within the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church became particularly significant during and after World War II.
The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church faced severe persecution from the Soviet regime, which sought to eliminate the Church's influence and forcibly integrate its members into the Russian Orthodox Church. In this hostile environment, the Church had to operate clandestinely. Bishops and priests conducted religious services in secret, and religious instruction was carried out covertly.
In 1945, Josyf Slipyj was arrested by the Soviet authorities and sentenced to eight years in labor camps. Despite his imprisonment, he continued to serve as a spiritual leader to many believers within the camp. His tenure in Soviet gulags lasted far beyond the initial sentence, extending to nearly two decades.
During this period of underground operation, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church made several episcopal appointments without the direct approval of the Pope, due to the impossibility of regular communication with the Holy See. These appointments were later recognized by the Vatican, acknowledging the extraordinary circumstances under which they were made.
After his release in 1963, largely due to international pressure, Slipyj was allowed to leave the Soviet Union. He traveled to Rome, where he was greeted by Pope Paul VI. Slipyj was elevated to the rank of Cardinal in 1965, a recognition not only of his personal faith and resilience but also of the enduring spirit of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church under persecution.
Cardinal Josyf Slipyj’s consecration and leadership during a time of severe trial for the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church symbolize the challenges faced by underground bishops who were compelled to operate without papal approval during conflicts. His later recognition by the Holy See underscores the Vatican's understanding and acknowledgment of the extraordinary conditions under which the Church in Eastern Europe struggled to preserve its faith and identity. |
A similar question was asked on Catholic Answers Live so you may want to listen:
Eric
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