Editing Coadjutor bishop (section)

=== Role of coadjutor ===
In the Latin Church, the pope appoints a coadjutor to help the [[bishop]] govern the [[diocese]]. A bishop himself, the coadjutor can substitute for the diocesan bishop in his absence (Canon 403§3).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-05-21 |title=What is the difference between an ordinary, auxiliary, and coadjutor bishop? |url=https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-is-the-difference-between-an-ordinary-auxiliary-and-coadjutor-bishop/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=Catholic Straight Answers |language=en}}</ref>The coadjutor must be a Catholic priest (all priests are male) and is usually a bishop or [[auxiliary bishop]]. 

Under [[canon law]], the coadjutor must serve as the [[vicar general]], the principal deputy administrator of the diocese. The diocesan bishop must "entrust to him [coadjutor] before others" in acts that require a special mandate (Canon 406§1)  If the [[episcopal see]] is an [[archdiocese]], the coadjutor is appointed as an [[archbishop]].<ref>[https://www.usccb.org/offices/general-secretariat/appointing-bishops "Appointing Bishops", USCCB]</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=What is a coadjutor? |url=https://www.camdendiocese.org/what-is-a-coadjutor/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=Diocese of Camden |language=en-US}}</ref>

In modern church practice, the pope can appoint a coadjutor to assist a bishop who needs help due to declining health. The coadjutor can also assist a bishop nearing retirement. The objective is to have continuity of leadership in the diocese and avoid an unexpected vacancy in the position of bishop.<ref name=":0" />

[[Pope Benedict XVI]] named Bishop [[Dennis Marion Schnurr|Dennis Schnurr]] as coadjutor archbishop of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati|Archdiocese of Cincinnati]] in Ohio in the United States in October 2008 to assist Archbishop [[Daniel Edward Pilarczyk|Daniel Pilarczyk.]] When Pilarczyk retired in December 2009, Schnurr automatically became the diocesan archbishop without any ceremony.<ref name="wcpo20081017">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Price |title=Vatican Names Future Replacement For Pilarczyk |date=October 17, 2008 |publisher=[[WCPO-TV]]}}</ref>

In some situations, the pope may appoint a coadjutor to override the diocesan bishop in certain matters. These might include a public scandal or financial mismanagement of diocese. The problems are serious, but not bad enough for the pope to remove the diocesan bishop. 

In 2023, [[Pope Francis]] appointed Bishop [[François Touvet]] as coadjutor of the [[Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon]] in France to assist the elderly Bishop [[Dominique Rey]]. The pope gave Touvet special powers to oversee the preparation of [[Seminary|seminarians]] and the financial management in the diocese. The [[Vatican City|Vatican]] had suspended the [[ordination]] of priests in the diocese in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-21 |title=Pope Francis Appoints Coadjutor to French Diocese Where Ordinations Were Halted |url=https://www.ncregister.com/cna/pope-francis-appoints-coadjutor-to-french-diocese-where-ordinations-were-halted |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=NCR |language=en}}</ref>

In one instance, the pope appointed a coadjutor to a church that was not a diocese. In 2002, [[Pope John Paul II]] named the Reverend [[Fernando Arêas Rifan]] as coadjutor of the [[Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney]] in Brazil. The pope took this action as part of the reconciliation agreement with the former Priestly Union of Saint John Mary Vianney that had broken with the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 28.06.2002 |date=28 June 2002 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2002/06/28/0335/01072.html |language=it |access-date=21 September 2021}}</ref>