Bishops Cite Ill Will, Seek Papal Meeting Before ’87 U.S. Trip

The head of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, warning of rising ill will between American Roman Catholics and the Vatican, called today for Pope John Paul II to meet with the U.S. hierarchy before his American visit next year.

Bishop James Malone of Youngstown, Ohio, president of the organization, did not say exactly what the bishops would tell the Pope, who is to visit the South and West for a series of speeches and Masses in outdoor stadiums next September.

But he spoke soberly of “developing estrangement” between the Vatican and parts of the American church over such questions as dissent from high church authority.

Cheered on 1979 Trip

The Pope was cheered by millions during a triumphant tour of Eastern and Midwestern U.S. cities in October, 1979.

“But no one who reads the newspapers of the past three years can be ignorant of a growing and dangerous disaffection of elements of the church in the United States from the Holy See,” Malone said.

His speech opened the bishops’ four-day annual meeting, during which the nearly 300 church leaders will go behind closed doors to discuss one matter that has led to public protests in Washington state--the Vatican’s order that Seattle Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen give some of his authority to a Vatican-appointed auxiliary bishop because of complaints about Hunthausen’s liberal views.

Many Bishops Upset

A number of bishops are known to be upset about the Vatican’s treatment of a fellow bishop, but there is no indication yet whether the private Hunthausen meeting on Tuesday will lead to any public action or statement.

Feelings seemed to be softened at least slightly by a letter from the Pope, read to the bishops today by the papal representative to the United States, Archbishop Pio Laghi.

In numerous ways, John Paul said, “I have tried to be of service to you, my brother bishops in the United States, placing my full trust in you and counting on your collaboration.”

Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, an influential liberal bishop who is among candidates to succeed Malone in elections on Tuesday, called the letter “a very positive gesture . . . a sign of good will toward us in working out any difficulties that are there.”

Difficulties Recognized

Still, Weakland said many bishops share Malone’s view that difficulties are indeed there.

In the last year alone, unmentioned by Malone but suggested by his reference to stories that have been heavily covered in the secular press:

--The Vatican has revoked the church-theologian credentials of a prominent professor at Catholic University here because of views considered too liberal on sexual issues.

--Vatican pressure has led a Jesuit priest to resign from his order after he polled bishops on their views on celibacy and women’s ordination.

--Another Jesuit has been told he would be expelled from the order if he spoke out, as he then did, against the Vatican’s recent restatement of its views on the sinfulness of homosexuality.