Letter 31: To my colleague and brother in Christ,

To my colleague and brother in Christ, The rumor you have passed along is one I have heard from another source as well, and I think we must take it seriously: that the election in the diocese you mention was secured through the payment of money to certain influential persons whose support was decisive. If this is accurate, it is simony — the buying and selling of spiritual office, condemned by the Church since the time of the Apostles and named for the man who tried to purchase the gifts of the Holy Spirit from Peter. What I would like to know before taking any action is how solid the evidence is. Rumors of this kind circulate easily and are often exaggerated. What I have heard is credible but not conclusive. If you have more direct information, please share it. If the evidence is solid: the matter must go to a council. This is not something a single bishop can address; it requires the collective authority of the episcopate. I will raise it at the next opportunity if you believe the case is strong enough. I raise this partly for the sake of the specific diocese in question, but more because I am concerned about a pattern. If simony in episcopal elections becomes normalized — if people come to believe that this is simply how things are done — the consequences for the moral authority of the church are severe. A bishop who bought his seat cannot credibly preach against corruption. A church that tolerates the purchase of its offices has conceded the essential point to those who say it is no different from any other worldly institution. This matters. I hope you agree. Braulio