Theologians call for new style of Pope

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 8

Theologians call for new style of Pope

NZPA-Reuter London Ten leading Roman Catholic theologians have called for reforms of the Papacy and a new style of Pope. The 10, all internationally known Churchmen, published their declaration in “The Times.” They asked cardin-1 als to devote the first part of their forthcoming conclave to a discussion of the! declaration before they elect) a new Pope. The group, who included Fr Hans Kung, Fr Yves Congar, and Fr Edward Schille) Beeckx, said they would like to speak for all those inside and outside the Roman Catholic Church who hoped for a “Pope who would above all try to help overcome the conflicts and contradictions which have arisen in the post-conciliar 'Church — a Pope of reconciliation.” i They asked the cardinals to consider the following 1 criteria, among others, for (the new Pope: He should know the world as it really I is and radiate genuine j humanity, he should be able Ito encourage others rather | than merely scalding and ndi monishing, he should not be \ authoritarian, he should be i free of all personality cult 'and not be a doctrinaire j defender of ancient bastions, land he should share power

with other bishops as a brother among brethren. The declaration suggested the need for a reform of the Papacy as an institution, with the Pope regarding the Synod of Bishops as a responsible decision-making body. The new Pope should' develop the relationship ■ with the World Council of) Churches and should "take): ! seriously the spiritual rela-! I tionship with the Jews,” it) 'added. | The - declaration was : j signed by Guiseppe Alberigo of Bologna, M. D. Chenu, Yves Congar, and Claude Feffre of Paris, Andrew Greeley of Chicago, Norbert Greinacher and Hans Kung of Tubingen (West Germany), and Edward Schille Beeckx of Nijmegen (the Netherlands). Another Roman Catholic pressure group _ has de- ; manded the abolition of secret papal elections and has laid out its blueprint of the type of Pone it wants. The self-styled Committee for the Responsible Election *1 of the Pope, comprised •imainly of North American: ■ I Catholics, told a press con- i I ference in Rome that there | ■ jwas “an astonishing lack” of; ) information about papal can-! :) didates. ,! “We want to know more, ' about these faceless men,”i

the committee chairman, James Andrews, said. He was referring to the 113 cardinal electors who will retire behind closed walls on August 25 to elect the successor to Pope Paul, who was buried on Sunday. He said the cardinals were) 'evasive, often knew little ) I about each other, and some-) ; times could not even pro-j pounce each other’s names, j I “They’ve only got two I weeks now in which to find) lout about each other,” hel added. “The purpose of our com-l mittee is to do away with! the secrecy of the conclave: to allow the world to seel the actual political process which is going on and to participate in it,” he said. In Frankfurt, a West German television spokesman has defended programme I changes on both national) channels to announce the; death of Pope Paul after: hundreds of non-Catholic) viewers complained because) scheduled entertainment pro-: grammes had been dropped. I An A.R.D. First Channell i official, Dietrich Schwarz-1 )fopf, confirmed that tele-1 I phone callers complained I [last Sunday because the! ) scheduled late movie, “The: )Hunchback of Notre Dame,”i I starring Gina Loilobrigida. i :)was dropped in favour of 1 jsymphonic mourning music.