A Christian Outlook (The Sunday Times, January 18) published a speech by the late Cardinal Basil Hume. The core of his address to US bishops on June 18, 1999 (broadcast by video, the Cardinal had died the day before), was that Vatican II had put papal primacy and collegiality side by side.

While thanking the Roman Curia for the help he himself had received in many situations, the Cardinal proceeded with some criticism. He expressed surprise at the tone and form of some letters from the Roman Curia and complained that not all episcopal appointments had been satisfactory.

He also expressed unease at the lack of consultations with local bishops and the unwillingness for a genuine dialogue between Rome and the local churches. He delved into the relationship of the Roman Curia and the Pope himself, and suggested that the Pope should call the presidents of the bishops' conferences every two years, so that he could hear their collective advice directly.

Cardinal Hume considered such a step as a good exaple of subsidiarity. In a biting end to his address he concluded: "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."

This last paragraph reminded me of a particular situation. Back in the Seventies, a group of laymen and women, including myself, worked very closely with Cardinal Hume on an important institutional reform in the Church.

We had monthly meetings and when he couldn't be present, he sent one of his auxiliary bishops to represent him. The late Archbishop Derek Warlock of Liverpool was also involved and a few other bishops too. I am not at liberty to divulge any more. However, the death of Pope Paul VI and the election of the present Pope brought the whole project to a standstill. I know there was friction between the Cardinal and the Roman Curia on several aspects related to the particular reform Cardinal Hume had in mind.

The views expressed by Cardinal Hume have been repeated and expanded upon, very recently. Camilo Macisse is no ordinary trendy priest. He was, until recently, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelites and is also a former president of the Union of Superior Generals. He published an article on November 15, 2003, in Testimonio, the magazine of the Chilean Conference of Religions, which was reproduced in the well renowned international Catholic weekly The Tablet on November 2 under the heading "Violence in the Church". (The full text can be downloaded in Italian from www.proconcil.org/docu.htm.)

Fr Macisse claims "intimate knowledge of this violence, above all exercised by a number of Roman departments. It comes in many forms." He describes this violence as an exercise of power, which ignores both legitimate diversity in the Church and the gospel insistence on dialogue.

Centralism is the first area of analysis by Fr Macisse. He maintains that the concentration of decision-making powers in a Church bureaucracy is distant from the life of believers in different circumstances.

Centralism has contributed to the failure of episcopal collegiality because bishops' synods were heavily controlled by the Roman Curia. "The Curia is adept at condemning any dissenting voices as practising a parallel teaching authority." On a practical note, Fr Macisse asks why it should have taken three years to approve translations of liturgical texts carried out by experts and approved unanimously by bishops' conferences?

Fr Macisse believes that the Roman Curia lives in fear of losing control. He cites as an example the Vatican's attempt to gain authority to confirm the election of religious superiors elected by their respective congregations.

What's more, the Congregation of Doctrine and Faith sought the support of theologians to create a climate receptive to the the idea. Then Fr Macisse reveals that the heads of the Union of Superiors-General (male) and the International Union of Female Religious Superiors have tried without success to have an audience with the Pope. Together these superiors represent one million consecrated religious.

Moving on to authoritarianism, Fr Macisse delves into the exclusion of women from participation at all levels of the Church. He refers to the document on enclosure Verbi Sponsa and claims that not one of the 49 associations or federations of Discalced Carmelites was consulted.

"Only the opinion of a small number of traditional convents were consulted." Cloistered nuns were viewed as "children incapable of fidelity to their cloistered identity, without male supervision".

Fr Macisse then turns his attention to Roman tribunals. While accusers are guaranteed anonymity, the accused are not allowed witnesses nor are accusers and accused allowed any dialogue.

This happens to be the same argument put forward by Cardinal Hume who in the same speech quoted above added: "There is often unease about the way in which theologians and their writings have been investigated."

Fr Macisse believes that the Roman Curia suffers from a dose of dogmatism. The Curia refuses to admit that in a pluralist world it is not possible to continue to assume just one religious, cultural and theological standpoint.

Since Vatican II, he continues, "violent repression has been unleashed against modern exegesis of Scripture, against new European theological perspectives, against liberation theology, against Asian and African theology and against indigenous theology". This attitude leads to stultifying legitimate research and study by exegetes and theologians.

Fr Macisse accuses the Roman Curia of going against Vatican II's Gaudium et Spes, which defined the Church's mission as that of shedding the light of the gospel on all humanity as "a sign of that brotherliness which allows honest dialogue and invigorates it".

Finally, Fr Macisse revisits collegiality and claims that Rome pays it lip service only. This belies what Pope John Paul II refers to in Ut Unum Sint, that the "whole body of bishops are vicars and ambassadors of Christ. The Bishop of Rome is a member of the college and the bishops are his brothers in the ministry."

The editor of The Tablet called Fr Macisse's article "a cry from the heart". He regretted that "the openness of the Church authorities in the 1970s has now diminished". He also recalled the great work of Catherine of Siena who was listened to by Pope and bishops alike. Finally he appealed for the Roman Curia to become a servant of the Pope and bishops, and not the master.

At the same time Fr Macisse made his views known, Cardinal Varkey Vithayatil of Kerala, India, wrote in a diocesan magazine, Lamp of Truth: "The Indian Church had been forced to depend on the Roman Curia for too many matters." He made a plea for the modification of Canon Law to help decentralise the Pope's authority. He claimed that the greatest weakness of the Catholic Church was the way papal authority was exercised without the participation of those concerned. This, he maintained, was unfaithful to Vatican II and pleaded for the empowerment of bishops' conferences.

The central position of the Roman Curia has pushed one Cardinal to demand a radical solution. Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, who as a senior curial official in Rome speaks from personal experience, has proposed a "new Church council to implement decentalisation of Church government". Writing in Famiglia Cristiana, he stated: "We of the Roman Curia must pay more attention and have more respect for the local churches. We are used to instructing, teaching and correcting. I would like us to be more inclined to listen, aid and encourage."

The call for a Church council is being supported by Cardinal Evaristo Arns, who feels that "a new council is necessary above all to discuss the need for greater autonomy for the local Churches. The local Churches were adult now, they needed more authority to plan evangelisation and carry out pastoral work among their peoples." In his writings, Cardinal Arns has been very critical of the Roman Curia, especially in the way the Curia has dealt with litugical translations and also, by ignoring the principle of subsidiarity within the Church.

Subsidiarity and the way it is exercised (or not exercised) in the Church had led to controversy. Cardinal Jan Schotte, secretary general of the synod of bishops, made his views amply clear: "Subsidiarity was a doctrine which applied to civic society rather than the Church." Such a statement from such a powerful and authoritarian person within the Roman Curia speaks for itself. It displays a sort of arrogance which prelates like Cardinal Hume objected to when he called for the principle of subsidiarity to be put into practice by the Church.

Another Cardinal who has joined the debate is Godfried Daneels, Archbishop of Malines-Brussels. Considered to be a reformist, Cardinal Daneels would like to see a reduction of the papacy's power.

He called for "a different style" which is needed to reduce the Vatican's centralised control, which has grown unabated. He favours bishops' synods, with less formality and more openness and added that "we are deluged with documents, instructions and manuals" from the Roman Curia.

The call for a new Vatican Council is now growing. Cardinals Arns and Hamao, together with bishops from Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico, have signed a petition requesting the Holy Father to take up the initiative.

A Website (www.proconcil.org) has been set up which gives all the information about an "International Initiative for a New Council in the Catholic Church". Bishops, priests, religious, lay people and organisations are invited to support the initiative. Already 38 bishops have signed. Significantly, 410 theologians have added their names.

The Website contains an impressive number of documents which support this initiative. No one is under any illusion that the Roman Curia is going to take notice of any initiative in these matters. It is accepted that due to the ill health of the Pope, the Roman Curia has strengthened its powers even further.

In the meantime the Catholic Curch is in crisis. Sexual abuse scandals have caused massive problems to the Church in the US and Ireland. Dioceses around the world have been bunkrupted through compensating victims of child abuse. The crisis in the priesthood goes on. In the UK one diocese has closed down 16 parish churches, another one 13 parish churches and another is cutting down drastically the number of Sunday Masses.

Many priests are totally demoralised by what they see around them. The acceptance of former Anglican clergymen into the Catholic priesthood has effectively created two kinds of priesthood - a married clergy and a celibate one.

Having celibate priests working alongside married ones has led to the resignations of a number of Catholic priests, as they simply could not subscribe to the injustice of seeing former Catholic priests, now married, prevented from practising their ministry while former Anglican priests are welcomed with open arms, family commitments notwithstanding.

The call to accept celibacy in the priesthood as a valid but different charisma had been made repeatedly by bishops, particularly in Latin America. But every time bishops wanted to raise the matter at synodal level, the Roman Curia vetoed any meaningful discussion. Meanwhile, because of lack of priests, the sacraments have become a privilege afforded only to a minority of believers, while millions go without. Many areas of Europe need to be re-evangelised, but where are the evangelisers? It is becoming more common to find priests from Africa and Asia serving in parishes in Europe.

It is ironic that priestly vocations that have been nurtured and supported by generous donations from Catholics all over Europe, with the aim of spreading the good news in the traditional missionary countries, are ending up supplying Sunday Masses in countries like Italy and the UK.

A few years ago, some African bishops raised their voices against this practice and mentioned specifically that some young priests sent to study in Rome failed to return to their poor parishes, as they got used to the high standard of living that Europe offers.

The Catholic Church needs to tackle priestly reform as a matter of urgency. Those who are asking for a Vatican III suggest that reform of the priestly ministry should top the agenda.

They have a point. This is how Ray Grosswirth, the Secretary of CORPUS in the USA puts it: "Common sense dictates that the availability of the Eucharist should always take priority over a policy such as mandatory celibacy." But celibacy should only be one aspect of any reform.

There are other aspects, such as the introduction of part-time ministry in the Church. The Church of England has put this concept into practice with some considerable success. In the Catholic Curch many mature married men who lead an exemplary life have been ordained deacons and are doing sterling work. Some of these men would make excellent pastors, without creating a financial burden on the communities entrusted to their pastoral care.

Then, there is the whole area relating to the role of women in the Catholic Church. The exclusion of women from priestly ministry needs to be tackled. Again, here, the Church can learn from the experience of other churches that have ordained women priests. Parishes led by women priests of various Christian denominations are becoming more common in the UK and elsewhere.

While the initial reaction to such appointments had been mixed, today, women ministers are being welcomed and highly praised for the way they deal with pastoral matters. In the absence of priests, a number of Catholic parishes in the UK are being administered by parish sisters.

But their roles are limited. For example, it is incredible that a parish sister is not allowed to administer the sacrament of the sick to a very sick or dying Catholic. Or to hear the Confession of a dying person who wishes to be reconciled with his Maker before he meets Him.

Through Baptism, we inherit the right to receive the sacraments, but many are being denied these rights. I am convinced that these parish sisters will one day be considered as precursors of women priests in the Catholic Church. They bring with them a more humane and wholesome approach to pastoral problems.

There are many fundamental questions to be asked. Are Christ and his message being proclaimed effectively? Why are youths so suspicious of the Church as an institution? (I do not suppose Fr Macisse's article will help in eliminating such suspicions.) Why are Sunday congregations dwindling so fast? Why are there so few vocations to the priesthood or the consecrated life in developed countries? Why is there such a growth in communities of faith and worship, parallel to the parish communities? What is lacking in the parish way of doing things?

Why is it that the enthus-iasm exhibited by millions of Catholics during Papal visits evaporates so quickly? Could it be that they are giving a message to the Church that they want to see the Church close to where they are? If it is, then it is a message that must be taken on board by the Church. It is after all the message of the gospel: God living with His people.

A recently appointed bishop in the UK has dispensed with his curial premises, moved to a small place and spends his time going from parish to parish in his diocese, living among his people. If the Roman Curia and Canon Law (as used and interpreted by many bishops and priests), have become obstacles to the message being heard and listened to, then Christ himself is being made inaccessible to many who need him.

The key to Church reform is to establish collegiality not only in theory but also in practice. Bishops are pastors of the Church and not just of their individual diocese. Without episcopal collegiality, there is no hope of reform of the Roman Curia. Collegiality will open up the dialogue so lacking between local bishops' conferences and the Pope. The present Pope himself in Ut unum sint called for dialogue with theologians and Church leaders.

The Church is in need of prophets. Yet the Roman Curia is so quick and eager to quash initiatives that arise from the pluralist society we all live in. Cardinal Hume was indeed a prophet in his time. Others are still around.

They may be considered as voices crying in the wilderness. They should be listened to. The Church should not have to be reminded that the description of the Pope as "the servant of the servants of God" is an expression of the real mission of Christ who came to serve and not to be served. When eminent clerics, including Cardinals, raise their anxieties about the way power is exercised in the Church, committed Catholics too should start questioning, debating and acting.

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