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SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/243137_joel03.html
Archbishop lights way for today’s leaders
October 3, 2005
By JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST
Raymond Hunthausen was a hopeful, humble man when uprooted from his beloved Montana 30 years ago by the Vatican to be pastor to 350,000 of the faithful as Catholic Archbishop of Seattle.
He was the antithesis of an autocrat-bishop, whether riding atop the big lawn mower at St. Edward’s Seminary or being known simply as “Ray” at weekly meet-ups where religious leaders plotted ecumenical cooperation.
Back from Montana, the retired Hunthausen was honored last week as another 30th anniversary was observed by the Washington Association of Churches. The ecumenical group does grunt work lobbying for those least influential of Americans, the working poor.
The region’s Protestant religious leaders were demonstrably present. Episcopal Bishop Vincent Warner sang a rendition of “What a Wonderful World” to a man he described as “a mentor, model and pastor for me.”
Noticeable by their absence, however, were the three current Catholic bishops serving the archdiocese.
The Vatican once investigated Hunthausen for alleged sins of tolerance and inclusiveness. An outpouring of support from priests and the pews stopped plans to strip the archbishop of his authority.
Hunthausen won’t let himself be lionized, even by friends. After the tributes, he took the mike and began, "I was thinking of what my mother in heaven would say: ‘It’s not my son.’ "
As the church association marked its 30th birthday, a salient question hung over the gathering: Was this just an ecumenical blast from the past?
No, answered guest speaker Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine and author of the provocative book “God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It.”
“The monologue of the religious right is finally over and a new dialogue has begun,” Wallis told an applauding crowd at Town Hall.
A few moments later, however, Wallis all but conceded that the cacophony of noise – and ability to give political marching orders to Christian soldiers – lies with the other side.
“There has to be a regular, progressive religious voice heard in the country,” he said. “They’re organized. We haven’t been.”
The secular, “unchurched,” Pacific Northwest produced three internationally known, progressive faith leaders/witnesses in the late 20th century. Advocacy of peace and opposition to weapons of war and poverty were their uniting values.
Hunthausen was one. The archbishop refused to pay the Pentagon’s portion of his income tax, and infuriated some Catholics – notably Navy Secretary John Lehman – by describing the Trident base on Hood Canal as “the Auschwitz of Puget Sound.”… (cont’d in next post)
seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/243137_joel03.html
Archbishop lights way for today’s leaders
October 3, 2005
By JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST
Raymond Hunthausen was a hopeful, humble man when uprooted from his beloved Montana 30 years ago by the Vatican to be pastor to 350,000 of the faithful as Catholic Archbishop of Seattle.
He was the antithesis of an autocrat-bishop, whether riding atop the big lawn mower at St. Edward’s Seminary or being known simply as “Ray” at weekly meet-ups where religious leaders plotted ecumenical cooperation.
Back from Montana, the retired Hunthausen was honored last week as another 30th anniversary was observed by the Washington Association of Churches. The ecumenical group does grunt work lobbying for those least influential of Americans, the working poor.
The region’s Protestant religious leaders were demonstrably present. Episcopal Bishop Vincent Warner sang a rendition of “What a Wonderful World” to a man he described as “a mentor, model and pastor for me.”
Noticeable by their absence, however, were the three current Catholic bishops serving the archdiocese.
The Vatican once investigated Hunthausen for alleged sins of tolerance and inclusiveness. An outpouring of support from priests and the pews stopped plans to strip the archbishop of his authority.
Hunthausen won’t let himself be lionized, even by friends. After the tributes, he took the mike and began, "I was thinking of what my mother in heaven would say: ‘It’s not my son.’ "
As the church association marked its 30th birthday, a salient question hung over the gathering: Was this just an ecumenical blast from the past?
No, answered guest speaker Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine and author of the provocative book “God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It.”
“The monologue of the religious right is finally over and a new dialogue has begun,” Wallis told an applauding crowd at Town Hall.
A few moments later, however, Wallis all but conceded that the cacophony of noise – and ability to give political marching orders to Christian soldiers – lies with the other side.
“There has to be a regular, progressive religious voice heard in the country,” he said. “They’re organized. We haven’t been.”
The secular, “unchurched,” Pacific Northwest produced three internationally known, progressive faith leaders/witnesses in the late 20th century. Advocacy of peace and opposition to weapons of war and poverty were their uniting values.
Hunthausen was one. The archbishop refused to pay the Pentagon’s portion of his income tax, and infuriated some Catholics – notably Navy Secretary John Lehman – by describing the Trident base on Hood Canal as “the Auschwitz of Puget Sound.”… (cont’d in next post)
