Editing Patriarch Simon XVI (section)

===Episcopate===
Msgr. Alderdyce served as Bishop of Cristi from 14 April 1984 until 18 August 1992 when he was translated to the Archdiocese of Corpus to serve as an auxiliary Bishop.<ref>Auxiliary bishops are assistant bishops in large Sees.</ref> While serving as Bishop of Cristi, Alderdyce oversaw a massive reorganisation of parishes in the diocese; the numbers attending Masses were beginning to dwindle and Alderdyce decided to amalgamate many parishes so as to keep churches somewhat full and busy. In order to ensure there were no priests left with no work, Alderdyce began encouraging some of the older priests to take retirement; when they did so, Alderdyce did not replenish the numbers in the diocese, something which as Patriarch he said he regretted.

In June 1989, Patriarch Mark VII died from stroke. Alderdyce wrote in his diaries that he was saddened to learn of Mark VII's death because he "was always a good and kind teacher. The shepard that God wants all of his apostles to emulate". The resulting Synod of Bishops to elect Mark VII's successor was Alderdyce's first as a Bishop, and so many "election waters" did not consider him in the running at all for election as Archdiocese of Sanctus. As Simon XVI, Alderdyce later said the secret ballot was an unnerving experience, and that he prayed so hard he would not be considered. Though the ballot is secret, information from the 1989 Synod suggests that Alderdyce, though new, did garner three votes from the eighty or so gathered bishops. On that occasion, however, the Bishop of Sanctus North, Joseph Hammersley, a brother of a former [[Prime Minister of Sanctaria|Prime Minister of the independent Divine Republic of Sanctaria]], Richard Hammersley, was elected Archbishop of Sanctus. He took the name Paul XXIV.

In August 1992, Alderdyce was translated to the Archdiocese of Corpus as an auxiliary Bishop to assist the Archbishop of Corpus, Dr. Kevin Bridestone, who was being treated for cancer of the liver. Though not strictly a promotion to Archbishop, as Dr. Bridestone was often too unwell to carry out his duties, Alderdyce was ''de facto'' Archbishop even if not ''de jure''. Alderdyce's focus in Corpus was battling the local government over their attempt to divest all Church-ran schools of their religious patronage. Alderdyce was somewhat successful in his fight back, with the end result in Corpus being that the Church still maintained day-to-day control over their schools, but had to accede to a lay and secular majority on the boards of management.
[[File:Simon XVI Bishop.jpg|left|thumb|235x235px|The then-Msgr. Alderdyce as auxiliary Bishop of Corpus]]
In November 1994, Paul XXIV died in his sleep. As no post-mortem examinations are done on the bodies of Patriarchs as a matter of convention, to this day no one is sure of the exact cause of death, though Paul XXIV's doctors have said he was being treated for pneumonia in the weeks leading up to his death. Alderdyce found himself attending his second Synod of Bishops to elect a new Archbishop of Sanctus and his standing has increased significantly since the last election, with his work as an auxiliary Bishop in the Corpus Archdiocese having attracted favourable media attention. One newspaper, the Corpus Standard, suggested Alderdyce was a favourite to be translated to the See of Sanctus.

Unconfirmed reports from the January 1995 Synod suggest that Alderdyce gained the third-most votes but, in order to end the election quickly, asked those who voted for him to instead cast their ballots for one of the two leading candidates. The Archbishop of Haven, Fr. Solomon Joyce, was elected Archbishop of Sanctus and took the name Paul XXV. When the Synod ended, Alderdyce returned to Corpus as an auxiliary Bishop. Documents from the time suggest that the new Patriarch Paul XXV had asked Alderdyce to replace him as Archbishop of Haven, however as Alderdyce remained in Corpus it can be assumed that he declined the offer.

The Archbishop of Corpus, Dr. Bridestone, recovered from his cancer in the summer of 1998, and Alderdyce's role in Corpus diminished as he returned to his role as an auxiliary Bishop. Archbishop Bridestone tasked Alderdyce with the recruitment of new priests across the Province of Corpus, something Alderdyce found difficult due to the increasing liberal attitudes of Sanctarians, and their increasing hostility to organised religion. "No one wants to give up the life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll", Alderdyce wrote to an acquaintance in December 1998, "is it unfathomable to me why the life of piety and obedience is not one people relish anymore."

Beginning in 1999, Alderdyce began to speak out against the liberal Sanctarian government's progressive policies, accusing them of undermining the religious nature of the country. His messages from the pulpit attracted media attention, and it culminated in a live debate on television with the then-[[Secretary for Health (Sanctaria)|Secretary for Health]], Donna Blight, on the proposed abortion laws for the country. Though [[Parliament of Sanctaria|Parliament]] later passed the abortion laws, Alderdyce's vociferous pro-life stance and passionate contributions on the program, which attracted a national audience, earned him widespread recognition and, within the Church itself, much acclaim.