The steps to becoming a Bishop

Becoming a Bishop can prove daunting, as it requires years of experience and multiple responsibilities. By speaking with the newly Ordained Bishop Edik Baroni, we could learn many steps to becoming a bishop. Preaching and celebrating your religion may sound easy, but it requires complete knowledge and determination to succeed as a Bishop. Bishops are ministers who hold the whole sacrament of holy orders. Catholics trace origins to the time of the apostles, who were endowed with a spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

A bishop holds the power of a church, as they make laws, provide their judgments in church matters and enforce the observance of these laws. They obtain and appoint priests for the churches. All these laws primarily relate to preaching, worship, safeguarding faith, administration of the sacraments, and religious instructions. Making and enforcing these laws can be a torrid task for anyone, as every rule is made by assessing the need for it and the knowledge of the holy book. 

But the question arises how can we achieve the title of a bishop? Well, the first step is to become a Deacon. They are the students that study and complete their training to obtain priesthood. They can practice in many ways similar to priests. For example, they can baptize, witness marriages, and perform funerals. 

The second step is to become a priest; to do that, one must undertake the rite of ordination. These actions ordain them into the priesthood. During the ceremony, they promise to uphold the duties of the priesthood and obey their superiors. They can perform the ritual of the Eucharist, take confession, and perform the Anointing of the Sick. Priests are also able to perform Holy Matrimony. After this, you can be promoted to become a Bishop.

Bishop Edik Baroni reminds us about the church’s requirements for the candidates to elevate to the rank of bishop. Firstly, the minimum age limit to become a bishop is 35, as it is the age at which a person completes his studies and acquires the appropriate knowledge required for the position of a bishop.

Secondly, in most churches, a bishop must hold a high academic degree, such Bachelor’s or master’s, or doctorate in Theology, requiring them to be ordained for at least 5 years. They are believed to hold expertise in canon law along with sacred scriptures. Typically, they govern the local regions that are known as dioceses. 

Becoming a bishop is vital in most clergy’s life, as all senior rankings hold the title bishop. These small requirements are the bare minimum required to become a Bishop. They are the third and the most fundamental level of the sacrament of holy orders. However, they have an age restriction, which for most churches and some like Catholics, they can remain in office until they reach the age of 75. After that, they have to be retired. The Catholic bishops must submit their resignation to the Pope, who then decides who will replace them. Although, a Bishop can be promoted to Archbishop, followed by the Cardinal and eventually the Pope. 

These steps may sound easy, but it takes ages to execute. These steps will seem straightforward if you work hard with complete determination. So patiently work towards your goals and spread and preach your religion wholeheartedly. Only a handful have acquired this role, as a limited number of people can balance their professional life with their religious life. 

We see all these factors in the life of bishop Edik Baroni; he is the first and only Armenian/Iranian American citizen to hold the post of a Bishop among Iranians. Along with that, he is also the Vice president for the Bank of America. His story shows that with hard work and determination, every kid who dreams of accelerating their faith can succeed in both worlds simultaneously.