Košice Archdiocese faces potential vacancy of auxiliary bishop role

Following the appointment of Marek Forgáč as the new Archbishop of Košice, questions have arisen regarding whether the Vatican will appoint a new auxiliary bishop for the diocese.

Under Canon Law, the role of an auxiliary bishop is supportive rather than administrative leadership, as they are not the head of the diocese. The decision to appoint such a position rests with the Dicastery for Bishops, which evaluates the necessity of the role based on factors such as the size of the diocese, the number of faithful, and the health or workload of the diocesan bishop.

Church law distinguishes between diocesan bishops, who are entrusted with the care of a specific diocese, and titular bishops, a category that includes auxiliary bishops. While the previous Archbishop, Bernard Bober, had noted the difficulty in securing multiple auxiliary bishops in the past, the current vacancy may or may not be filled depending on Vatican assessment.