Washington Catholics Launch Drive to Reinstate Archbishop

A group of Roman Catholics in western Washington has mounted a petition drive demanding repeal of a recent Vatican order to Seattle Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen to surrender authority to his auxiliary bishop in five categories, including such moral issues as birth control and homosexuality.

“We want complete and final decision-making authority within this archdiocese to be . . . restored to . . . Hunthausen,” Concerned Catholics said in a statement this week. The informal group of priests, nuns, religious brothers and lay members is seeking “thousands of signatures” by Sept. 16, a spokeswoman said.

Sister Marilyn Geiger said the signed petitions would be sent to Hunthausen and Auxiliary Bishop Donald Wuerl, with instructions to forward them to Vatican authorities.

While protesting “the injustice of the procedures of the investigation” of Hunthausen, initiated by the Vatican in 1983, the group nevertheless said Wuerl should continue assisting Hunthausen and share in dealing with “whatever problems occasioned the recent transfer of power.” Wuerl was appointed last December soon after the investigation ended, but the extent of his powers was not disclosed until last week.

The Vatican action stripping moral and doctrinal authority from Hunthausen, a liberal on social as well as sexual issues, is unusual--if not unprecedented--in U.S. Catholicism and comes at a time when the Vatican is taking wide measures to squelch dissent within the American church.

Hunthausen, 65, also lost authority over issues of worship and liturgy; training of seminary students and continuing education of priests; the marriage tribunal, which determines marriage annulments, and the oversight of priests who are leaving or have left the priesthood.

He retained responsibility over administrative, financial and charity functions.