Last Saturday, July 23rd, Bishop Philippe Ballot was named the new Bishop of the Diocese of Metz, France. The appointment was made by the French President…

Newsroom (27/07/2022 2:45 PM Gaudium Press) Bishop Philippe Ballot has been named the new bishop of the diocese of Metz, in eastern France.

At the age of 61, the current Archbishop of Chambérry since 2009 is expected to assume the see of the new diocese in September.

Archbishop Philippe Ballot will replace Archbishop Jean-Christophe Lagleize, who resigned from his episcopal duties in August 2021 due to health problems.

Upon assuming the See of the Metz diocese, Bishop Ballot will become the 104th bishop of the diocese. In a statement, he declared that he will be engaged in giving attention to all the inhabitants of the region.

Appointed by the President of the Republic

The particularity of the appointment lies in the fact that it is a decree of common accord between the Holy See and the president of the French Republic.

In fact, the episcopal nominations for the dioceses of Metz and Strasbourg are always validated by the acting French president.

This is because of local law which is governed by the Concordat, also known as the concordat regime of Alsace-Moselle.

The Concordat signed by the Holy See and Napoleon

In 1801, a treaty was signed between Pope Pius VII and Napoleon Bonaparte that guaranteed the free exercise of the Catholic religion as well as other religions on French territory.

The motivations of the treaty are questionable, since the appointments of Archbishops and Bishops were to be made by the Government but officially instituted by the Holy See.

Furthermore, the Bishops and priests were to take an oath of fidelity to the Government. Nevertheless, the pontifical bull Ecclesia Christi, of 1801, validated the agreement that came into force the following year.

Law of separation between Church and State

The treaty, known as Concordat, was in force until 1905, the year in which France enacted the law of separation between Church and State.

However, the Alsace and Moselle regions were under German domination at this time. After the First World War, in 1919, when the regions returned to France, they continued to uphold certain laws and traditions, among them the validity of the Concordat.

That is why even today the capital of Moselle, Metz, and the capital of Alsace, Strasbourg, have their Bishops appointed by the French government. (FM)

Compiled by Teresa Joseph