Bishops' summit:
O'Sullivan, Firmin
Report from Rome BISHOPS' SUMMIT WILL THE POPE INTERVENE? Rome How MUCH will the public learn of the five days of talks (January 17 through January 21) between U.S. and West European bishops on...
...Participants from England, Scotland, Germany, and France include Cardinal Basil Hume of Westminster, Cardinal Joseph Hoefner of Cologne, Cardinal Gordon Gray of Edinburgh, and Bishop Jean Vilnet of Saint-Bie...
...FIRMIN O'SULLIVAN (Firmin O'Sullivan is a news correspondent in Rome...
...John Paul and his advisors have thoroughly analyzed the possible effects of recent Soviet disarmament proposals, and the pope is concerned to see that the bishops on both sides of the Atlantic share a reasonably common position on nuclear problems...
...Nuclear choices are very sensitive national issues in Europe as well as in the U.S., and it seems imprudent for John Paul to involve himself publicly at this stage in such a major political debate...
...More speculative is the suggestion that the pope's desire to keep Poland in the limelight - indicated by his hint about canceling his visit there next June - may affect his views on the nuclear debate, at least to the extent of not wanting to see the discussion of an East-West nuclear accord totally block out attention to the fate of his homeland...
...The American bishops, at the November meeting, admitted that some European hierarchies (it was understood to be the French and West Germans) were, like their governments, concerned about the strictures on deterrence and the recommendation of a no-first-use policy that were part of the Americans' draft pastoral letter...
...The German bishops have had talks in Rome about the nuclear issue under the auspices of the Justice and Peace Commission here, although the substance of those talks is not known...
...The American bishops announced their willingness to pursue these matters with the West Europeans...
...Since I am writing before the sessions begin, I cannot tell how much of the substance of these talks will remain confidential, how much will be reported openly, and how much will remain rumor...
...The January 17-21 consultation in Rome is the first such meeting ever held...
...As usual, the pope's role in these deliberations is a matter of both concern and speculation...
...Hoefner and Vilnet have already conferred on this as well as other matters at Lyons...
...Furthermore, since the discussion is one conducted on moral grounds, it is possible that papal authority may be invoked...
...Cardinal-elect Bernardin is scheduled to report to him at the end of the talks...
...it is said to have been called on the American bishops' initiative...
...and West European bishops on the delicate issues of nuclear armament...
...in Rome...
...Obviously this does not preclude his expressing his views to the bishops in private audiences...
...The U.S...
...and their apparent readiness to listen to European views and achieve a consensus if possible has been much appreciated in Europe...
...bishops' delegation is led by Cardinal-elect Joseph Bernardin of Chicago and Archbishop John Roach, president of the American episcopal conference...
...Yet it is unlikely that the pope will be personally intervening in the bishops' deliberations...
...General Vernon A. Walters, an emissary of the Reagan administration, visited the pope last October and was reported to have requested that the Holy Father induce the American bishops "to be more reasonable.'' In the course of a quickly scheduled visit to Europe, Vice President Bush will also be seeing the pope, presumably with a similar message included in his luggage...
Vol. 110 • January 1983 • No. 2
