A number of steps will be taken between now and July 11, when the Rev. Dr. Antonio Gallardo is set to become the eighth bishop diocesan of Los Angeles. Let’s start with the consents process.
We elect a bishop for the wider church, not for our diocese alone. By canon, a majority of Standing Committees and a majority of bishops must give their consents to the election of a bishop.
Here’s how that process works: In the days immediately after the election, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s staff will assemble a file of paperwork on our bishop-elect. This will include the certificate of election that was signed at convention and the testimonials signed voting delegates, both lay and clergy.
The file will also include evidence that our bishop-elect was ordained deacon and priest; the results of a recent physical exam; and the results of a psychiatric exam, which the bishop-elect will undergo on Nov. 13.
When all that paperwork has been assembled and it is agreed that everything is in order, the consents process begins. The Presiding Bishop’s Office sets the start and end dates of the consents period. Again by canon, this is a 120-day period. Because we now obtain these consents online (rather than by postal mail), typically a majority of consents is received in about seven weeks.
Our Standing Committee will send out the consents documents to other Standing Committees. The Presiding Bishop’s Office will gather the consents from bishops.
When the Presiding Bishop’s Office agrees that we have achieved the required 50-percent-plus-one consent from Standing Committees and bishops, it will announce that the election is affirmed.
At that point, planning for the consecration weekend, with the festive liturgy set for July 11 at All Saints Church in Pasadena, can move into high gear. In the coming weeks, the Standing Committee will name a consecration committee to coordinate these arrangements.