Info: So how does a bishop get chosen in the United States?

The USCCB has released a fascinating PDF document as a media backgrounder, explaining the step-by-step process that goes on behind the scenes before a new bishop is appointed to a US diocese:

The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the Pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses. But how does he know whom to select?

The process for selecting candidates for the episcopacy normally begins at the diocesan level andworks its way through a series of consultations until it reaches Rome. It is a process bound by strict confidentiality and involves a number of important players – the most influential being the apostolic nuncio, the Congregation for Bishops, and the pope. It can be a time consuming process, often taking eight months or more to complete. While there are distinctions between the first appointment of a priest as a bishop and a bishop's later transfer to another diocese or his promotion to archbishop, the basic outlines of the process remain the same.

Stage 1: Bishops' Recommendations
Stage 2: The Apostolic Nuncio
Stage 3: Congregation for Bishops
Stage 4: The Pope Decides

Each of the stages is explained with a short paragraph in the PDF document.

There you go, papists - your lunchtime reading! Don't say I never divulge trade secrets. ;-)