Church Told To 'Declericalise'
(N .ZP .A.-Reuter—Copyright)
VATICAN CITY, October 9.
The Roman Catholic Church was today urged to open up high Vatican posts to laymen and drop its “clericalist” attitudes.
Archbishop Eugene d’Souza of Bhopal, India, putting the revolutionary proposal to the Vatican Council, said the church should treat laymen as adults.
Attacking a draft decree on the role of the laity in the church, he noted that the text said laymen could do nothing without the approval of bishops. This would lead to “restrictions and abuses.”
The Indian Archbishop declared “the people of God is not a totalitarian state where everything is run from the top.” The church should declericalise its attitudes. Bishops should treat laymen as brothers. Archbishop d’Souza said laymen instead of priests could be used to represent the church at international assemblies. He proposed that laymen should be given popts in the offices of the Roman Curia (the central church government departments) and in the administrative offices of dioceses.
The Indian prelate then
went further by proposing that laymen could be used as Papal Nuncios (ambassadors). Nuncios are normally Vatican prelates with archbishop rank.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30568, 10 October 1964, Page 13
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189Church Told To 'Declericalise' Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30568, 10 October 1964, Page 13
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