Who Are the Bishops and Where Do They Come From?

This chapter provides an overview of information on the current bishops of the United States: their age, where they are from, where they went to school, what they studied, their theological perspective, and which pope appointed them bishop. Additionally, what is the size and complexity of the dioceses they lead? Characteristics such as these are helpful in understanding the human, cultural, and geographic context of the American bishops at the start of the 21st century. In trying to assess and identify the desired qualities for a bishop, some criteria are hard to measure and instead rely on a careful discerning judgment (solid faith, gentleness, wisdom, etc.), and other criteria are more readily ascertained and documented (age, management skills, education, etc.).