A renewed Church

Many are prone to forget important events and speeches of barely four years ago. One of these speeches was certainly that of the late Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster, in June 1999.

Although he had completed the text of his speech before his final illness was diagnosed, he was unable to travel to the US to deliver it in person. However the Cardinal recorded the speech on video and it was broadcast to the assembly of the United States Bishops on June 18, 1999. And that was only the day after he died.

In his text he stressed that the Second Vatican Council did not cast the Pope and bishops in the roles of chief executive and branch managers, nor did it see the Pope as simply the first among equals. It stressed papal primacy and collegiality. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, with a good vision and good judgment, the challenge today is for primacy and collegiality to live side by side.

Cardinal Hume explains that what is at the heart of this vital relationship between the Pope and the college of bishops is the unity of the Church. In his diocese the bishop is the vicar of Christ for the people, but he also confirms the Pope's universal jurisdiction. The relationship between the universal Church and the particular Church is expressed and mediated in various ways.

One of the structures to facilitate this important relationship is the Roman Curia. Cardinal Hume however says: "For my part, I would like to acknowledge the help and support I have received from the Roman Curia in many situations. But it would be naive to presume that all relationships with the curia are ideal.

"If I now proceed to sound a note of criticism, it is out of fraternal charity and a love of the Church. For instance, some of us would have been surprised by the form and tone of some letters from curial offices. There are concerns about the manner of some episcopal appointments and the length of time taken to make them. Not all appointments have been satisfactory.

"There is often unease about the way in which theologians and their writings have been investigated. There can be a sense of frustration at not having been consulted on issues that are important to us local bishops. In an institution such as the Church, where human beings are entrusted with varying tasks, there are bound to be misunderstanding and tensions, and a certain clumsiness in dealing with things on a worldwide scale.

"All such difficulties can be resolved by good will and common sense, but always within the context of openness and a willingness to dialogue."

Cardinal Hume makes it clear that: "This leads me to wonder about another important relationship in the Church, that between the Holy Father and his Curia. When an organisation is very big, officials exercise greater individual power. That is why I have long thought it would be good if the Pope were to call together all the presidents of the bishops' conferences of the world every two years or so, so that he could hear their collective advice directly. The development during this century of the role of the bishops conferences is surely a good example of subsidarity."

He ends this particular part of his address to the US bishops' conference: "I am constantly being urged to suppress this group or that, drive out of Church this lot or that. I do not believe this is right. I believe that as a bishop I have to try to lead people from where they are to where they never dreamt they might go."