Under the recent entry about titular sees, the question arose about which bishop would have jurisdiction over the Moon.
I think there are conflicting claims. I heard once that Rome itself had jurisdiction.
However, there is another claim.
Sometimes it is said that the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, has jurisdiction over the Moon.
“But Father! But Father!”, some of you are saying now. “Orlando? Why? Because of Disneyworld? More proof that YOU HATE VATICAN II! Have you finally lost your mind? ”
Not quite completely.
The idea is that, back in 1969 when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, the Diocese of Orlando included Cape Canaveral. Because the journey began from the Diocese of Orlando, Orlando had jurisdiction.
There is an anecdote about this. The late Archbishop Borders, who eventually was in Baltimore, had been once the Bishop of Orlando. During an ad limina visit he actually told Paul VI that he was the bishop of the Moon.
I would love to have been standing there with a camera to capture Pope Paul VI’s expression as he considered this statement.
