Seattle’s Hunthausen ‘Delighted,’ ‘Relieved’ : Vatican Review Changed Little, Bishop Says

Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen said that a five-year Vatican review of the Seattle Roman Catholic Archdiocese did not lead to fundamental changes in its operations.

Hunthausen, who came under fire from Catholic conservatives and at one time temporarily lost his authority over annulments and in several other church activities, appeared with Seattle’s coadjutor Archbishop Thomas Murphy at a news conference Wednesday.

A day earlier, the Pope’s U.S. representative announced that an apostolic commission that reviewed Hunthausen’s leadership had completed its work.

“We’re delighted. We’re relieved. We’re pleased,” Hunthausen said. “We’re going to have a party.”

“I’m not sure the ministry has changed,” said Hunthausen, 67, who added that the ministry was never in violation of Rome’s teachings “in the broad sense.”

A statement issued by Archbishop Pio Laghi in Washington, D.C., chief papal representative in the United States, said Hunthausen “has indicated that he, along with Murphy, will continue to address the issues which have been of concern to the church.”

After Hunthausen came under fire from conservatives, the Vatican in 1985 removed his authority in five areas where he was accused of diverging from church teachings, including ministry to homosexuals, liturgical matters and marriage annulments. An auxiliary bishop was named to perform those duties.

When that situation proved unworkable, Hunthausen’s authority was restored in early 1987 and Murphy was named coadjutor archbishop.

Hunthausen has a national reputation for outspokenness on peace issues and the poor.