Revealed: right stuff that makes a bishop

STRINGENT and secret controls against liberals becoming Roman Catholic bishops have been put in place by the Vatican. Golias, a French Catholic magazine, has obtained a secret questionnaire used by Papal nuncios to check the suitability of candidates.

The questionnaire is completed by trusted informants who are not allowed to tell the candidate about their role.

They are asked to assess the orthodoxy of the candidate, in particular his resistance to any weakening of bans on birth control, married priests, and female priests.

The informers must also provide information about their friend's 'appearance; health; ability to withstand stress; family relationships, especially in view of possible symptoms of cancer'.

Successful candidates will be disciplined men, showing 'fidelity and obedience to the Holy Father, the Apostolic See, the hierarchy, and esteem and acceptance of priestly celibacy'.

They will have administrative skills; they will make good use of church properties and exhibit a sense of justice and detachment from earthly goods.

They will be distinguished by 'intelligence, justice, honesty, integrity, objectivity, faith, hope, charity, obedience, humility, piety, daily celebration of Mass and Marian piety'.