U.S. Bishops Back Vatican Curbing of Liberal Prelate : But Allow Him to Give His Views

U.S. Roman Catholic bishops today bowed to the Vatican in its decision to discipline a liberal archbishop from Seattle, but they allowed him to make public his side of the story for the first time.

Acknowledging the “dismay and confusion experienced by many good people,” the National Conference of Bishops ended a closed-door debate on the case of Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen by siding with Pope John Paul II, who has angered liberal Catholics with a crackdown on dissent.

“On this occasion the bishops of the United States wish to affirm unreservedly their loyalty to and unity with the Holy Father,” conference President James Malone said in a carefully worded statement he read after nearly six hours of secret discussion.

‘Deeply Troubling’

He pointed to the “deeply troubling” divisions caused by the Vatican decision to strip Hunthausen, a 65-year-old outspoken anti-war activist, of his authority in five major areas in which he was accused of departing from doctrinal tradition.

“With specific reference to Seattle,” Malone said, “while we are not authorized to judge the facts of the case, I believe it is clear that the process employed by the Holy See was in accord with general principles of church law and procedures.

“As such, it deserves our respect and confidence.”

Malone said that the bishops had no authority to intervene “in the unique relationship between the Pope and individual bishops.”

As Malone spoke, conference aides distributed copies of documents used by Hunthausen to defend himself, including a detailed 21-page presentation he made to the 300-plus bishops Tuesday behind closed doors. Hunthausen had steadfastly refused to comment on his case.

An Unusual Move

Hunthausen’s supporters hailed this unusual move of making public the criticisms of church procedure--including a denunciation of the cloak of secrecy the Vatican threw over its investigation of his alleged shortcomings--as a gesture of some solidarity with the archbishop.

Backers of the archbishop, who picketed outside the hotel here where the bishops are meeting, have argued that he was singled out for blame for practices not uncommon in other dioceses ministering to the 52 million American Catholics.

Hunthausen, in his defense, said that he stood fully in accord with the teachings of the church but was not a theologian and had accepted many practices that were in place when he first was named to head the diocese.

Homosexual Issue

Hunthausen said general absolution is given only when crowds are large and the number of priests is small, and that although he agrees with Catholic teachings against homosexual acts, he believes the church has to deal with ministering to homosexuals in its flock. He denied that he allowed non-Catholics to receive Communion.

“We are not dealing with a matter of dissent. . . . I am not a dissenter from the church’s teaching,” Hunthausen said.

He said he had told the Vatican he would happily resign if it would help remedy the situation. “But my understanding of the virtue of obedience has never allowed me simply to acquiesce,” he told his fellow bishops.

Hunthausen sharply criticized the strict secrecy that surrounded a so-called “apostolic visitation” sent to examine his performance.

He said that much adverse publicity could have been avoided if the Vatican had dealt with him more openly.