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COUNCIL'S DRAMATIC DAY: MAIN QUESTION TO BE PUT TO THE VOTE MONSIGNOR JAMES I. TUCEK
V ATICAN CITY.—DEBATE IN THE COUNCIL HALL REACHED A DRAMATIC HIGH POINT AS TWO GREAT MEN OF THE C HURCH BROUGHT THE CHIEF QUESTION AT ISSUE TO A H EAD IN THE CURRENT CONSIDERATION OF THE SCHEMA ON BISHOPS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF DIOCESES. The question was whether or not the powers now exercised by the Roman Curia—the central administrative body of the Church—should be returned to the bishops of dioceses. The two sides of -the issue were expressed by Joseph Cardinal Frings, of Cologne, Germany, and Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office and president of the council's Theological Commission. There was no question in the mind of anyone present that this was the most dramatic day of the council to date. One clearly saw a new order in battle against an old order.
Applause
gratitude for the devoted individuals w h o spend their lives in the difficult work of the Holy Office. we feel that its methods should be basically revised. "It would be advisable to diminish substantially the number of bishops working in the curial offices. No one should be consecrated a bishop just in order to honour him or the office he holds. If a man is consecrated a bishop, then he should be a bishop and nothing else. No one is ever ordained to the priesthood as a mark of honour or gratitude. "Not a few of the tasks of the Roman Curia could be performed by laymen. C onsequently, efforts should be made to use fewer bishop s, fewer priests and more laymen."
Both Cardinal Frings and Cardinal Ottaviani spoke with evident deep conviction and both were applauded by those who supported their views. The applause would not count, of course, in deciding the question. But the question was now out in the open and, except for an extraordinary intervention of Pope Paul VI himself, it would soon be decided by ballot and, one way or another, alter the face of the Church in the future. Cardinal Frings remarks, as reported in the council press office communique. were as follows: "Remarks recently made in the council to the effect that the Fathers must wait for a definitive response The same council press from the Theological Commission are indeed amaz- office communique reporting. They seem to insinuate ed the words of Cardinal that this commission has Ottaviani as follows: "The opportunity must at its 'disposal sources of truth unknown to the be taken to protest most other council Fathers. vigorously against the condemnat;.on of the Holy OfSuch observations also appear to lose sight of the fice voiced in this council hall. It should not be forf act that the commission are, to function only s gotten that the prefect of as the tools of the general Holy Office is none congregations (council meetings) and are to execute the will of the council Fathers.
The Other View
Out Of Times
"The distinction between administrative and judicial procedures in the Roman Curia should be extended to all areas, including the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. Its procedures are out of harmony with modern times, are a source of harm to the faithful and Of scandal to those out-. Side the Church. No Roman c ongregation should have authority to and condemn accuse, judge an individual Who has had no opportunity to defend himself. With all due reverence and
other than the sovereign pontiff himself. The criticism formulated proceeds from a lack of knowledge, not to use a stronger term, of the procedures of this sacred congregation. "No one is ever accused, judged and condemned without a thorough previous investigation carried on with the help of competent consultors and experienced specialists. Besides, all decisions of the Holy Office are approved by the Pope personally, and thus such criticisms are reflection on the Vicar of Christ. "The five points recently submitted for the approval of the council Fathers were drawn up by the council moderators. They should have been submitted to the Theological Commission for careful study, and the commission would have been able to perfect certain expressions and eliminate certain obscurities. "Those who propose the collegiality of the bishops proceed in a vicious circle, since they presume that the Apostles existed and Continued page 8
Rottnest Mosses
• FATHER J. O'SHEA. Port Chaplain at Fremantle, has announced that, commencing on Sunday, December 1. Mass will be offered at Rottnest Island every Sunday till further notice. The Mass will commence at 12 noon and will be held in the Rottnest Picture Theatre. Confessions will be heard prior to the Mass.
Persistent Report On Draft's Promulgation
V ATICAN CITY.—A persistent report from reliable sources states that the Eceumenical Council's draft proposal on the liturgy will be ready to be put into effect by the end of November. A member of the Liturgy Commission, who declined to be named, said there is a poss!bility- the proposal will be promulgated on November 22, the anniversary of the liturgical reforms of Pius XII. Once the liturgy proposal is promulgated, many of its provisions will be immediately applicable. Those dealing with the use-of vernacular languages, however, will have to wait for action by national hierarchies.
Monsignor J. Hogan, administrator of St. Mary's Cathedral blessing the new organ for the Cathedral, assisted by Father F. Walsh and R. Doyle. The blessing was fol lowed by a recital demonstrating the full tonal capacity of the organ by the Cathedral organist Annette Goerke.
AUSTRALASIA'S BISHOPS MET REGULARLY, DISCUSS AREA'S NEEDS The Bishops of Australia, New Zealand and various parts of New Guinea and Oceania have been meeting regularly in Rome during the second session of the Second Vatican Council under the presidency of His Eminence Cardinal Gilroy. At the meetings .subcommittees of Bishops have been appointed to study the various schemata that are being or will be discussed in the Council. These sub-committees report back to the general meetings with a view to the Bishops speaking with a common voice in the Council. His Lordship Bishop Cahill, of Cairns, Queensland, spoke in the name of the group when he intervened during the 65th general congregation of the Council on November 12. Bishop Cahill's address was on Chapter Two ( "About Coadjutor and Auxiliary Bishops") of the schema on "Bishops and the Government of Dioceses." When it is not possible to have unanimity on a particular question, individual Bishops speak in their own name or send their vota in writing to the relevant conciliar commission. (The vota expressed in writing have equal weight with those expressed verbally.) At the inVitation of many other hierarchies, the Bishops of our region have appointed official representatives to those Hierarchies in order to determine what common
--- By — FATHER M. COST1GAN policies might be enunciated and to discuss common needs and difficulties. MISSION NEEDS At their meetings the Bishops have given special attention to the problems of mission territories within the general area they represent, and a committee has been appointed to make a closer study of the needs of those areas. Some of the Bishops who are in charge of these territories have presented reports to the meetings on the particular difficulties they face. The other Bishops appreciate the wonderful opportunity of meeting their confreres from the missions and of learning more about the work being done arid the problems to be overcome there. The needs of the Church at home are constantly in the minds of the Bishops attending t h e Council. Many of the matters discussed at their meetings are directly concerned with those needs. As mentioned in the release from the Bishops, the intervention by Bishop Cahill on November 12 was on behalf of the whole
Hierarchy. The following summary of Bishop Cahill's address appeared in the news bullettin issued by the Council Press Office: If the Vicar-General is expected to be one juridical person with the residential bishop, this is all the more applicable to a Coadjutor Bishop. Consequently, the passage in the text which requires only that the Coadjutor should consult with the residential bishop before undertaking anything important should be modified in order to require the consent of residential the bishop. Auxiliary Bishops should have the same faculties as Vicars-General. Instead of requiring the resignation of aged bishops it would be better simply to appoint a Bishop Administrator, preferably without making him an Apostolic Administrator. The retiring bishops should be assured particularly of the same prayers after death as for those bishops who die in office.
The Catholic Press Association of Australia and New Zealand will be represented by its secretary at a meeting in Rome from November 30 to December 1 of the Bureaux of the International Catholic Press Union. This meeting was arranged to coincide with the second session of the Ecumenical Council. The Pope has appointed 12 mose cardinals to the commision which is redrafting the Code of Canon Law. Among the new members of the commission is His Eminence Cardinal Gilroy, Archbishop of Sydney. •