They
worshipped togetherÉand they worked, discussing the church's agenda in the new
millennium. In the end, they crafted a statement calling for a recommitment to
applying to the gospel message key global problems. They endorsed new efforts
to spur both ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, appealed for solidarity with
Africa, and urged an immediate cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians.During medieval times, popes often held advisory meetings, or consistories, with the cardinals, but the practice stopped in the late sixteenth century. Pope John Paul II revived these consultations in 1979 because he wanted to hear from his cardinals. This was his sixth extraordinary consistory.
John
Paul called this gathering, he said, to build on last year's Jubilee, or Holy
year. MONSIGNOR TIMOTHY DOLAN, Pontifical North American College: He's saying, 'Wait a minute, we just had a great Jubilee and now we don't sort of close that book and put it on a shelf and say let's go.' He said, 'No, what we've got to do is almost sort of freeze-dry that great enthusiasm and energy and exuberance and promise that we saw.'
LAWTON: Previous consistories were organized around a very specific agenda. This meeting had no one theme, but featured wide-ranging discussions on a host of issues, from family problems and sexuality to ecumenical dialogue and church administration. Church officials said there were frank conversations, even differing opinions about some of the issues. Several cardinals said they were invigorated by the discussions.
CARDINAL
WILLIAM KEELER, Archdiocese of Baltimore: When we return home, we'll be energized
by this exchange of ideas. We'll have some clearer ideas about the importance
of our sacramental life, about our parish life, about the call to holiness for
everybody, of the place of youth in our church, and also of our need as a church
to relate to the media that report the news. LAWTON: On top of their everyday duties, Cardinals have three special functions in the church: In addition to advising the pope, they are each given the title to one of Rome's historic churches. Cardinal Keeler's titular church is Saint Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs, designed by Michaelangelo. This huge building once housed the ancient Roman baths of Emperor Diocletian.
The third, and what many consider the most important, responsibility is electing the pope. According to church rules, all cardinals under the age of 80 meet in a conclave to select the pope by secret ballot. Some observers viewed this consistory as a 'dress rehearsal' for that main event.
DOLAN:
It would be a mistake, I think, as some have portrayed this extraordinary consistory,
as almost kind of like the antipasto to the conclave or the Iowa caucus almost.
That's not intended. Does the pope realize that some of these men don't know each
other very well and that it might be good for them to get to know each other,
a good thing for the future of the church? Yes. He would be a very realistic pastor,
so he would know that.
FATHER
THOMAS REESE, S.J., AMERICA magazine: "There's not going to be any one going
around twisting arms and saying, 'Vote for me.' That's just considered totally
inappropriate. But it's impossible not to think about this question for them.
I think each cardinal is going to look at the other cardinals and say, 'How will
that man go down in my part of the world as a pope? Would he be well-received?
Would people like him?' Is he sensitive to the issues in my part of the world?
And most importantly, does he listen to me?
ALLEN:
We in the West are sort of accustomed to the way in which the House of Representatives
works. The way a Parliament works. That is, after a debate, we want a vote, and
we want results right away. And that is not the way the Catholic Church functions.
What happens in meetings like this is that the groundwork gets laid for those
dramatic moments of change. Ideas have a chance to collect. Consensuses have a
chance to build. People have a chance to do the thinking and the reflection that
is necessary to make change happen.
