Revolt in Texas

Venerable prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. continue to encounter rebellion among younger priests. The latest to run up against a clerical revolt is Archbishop Robert E. Lucey, 77, of San Antonio. He faced the embarrassment of having 51 priests in his see publicly announcing that they had asked the Vatican to retire him or ask for his resignation.

The unusual request was dispatched to Pope Paul seven weeks ago, and was made public by the senders because--perhaps understandably--it had not been answered by Rome. In their eight-page, 2,000-word letter, the priests charged that there was a "communications gap" between Lucey and his clerics, which had resulted in "an atmosphere of fear, alienation and dissatisfaction on the part of many priests." Citing a decree of the Second Vatican Council that urged bishops to discuss pastoral matters with their priests, the petitioners claimed that Lucey "has steadfastly refused even to acknowledge the existence" of the 160-member Priests' Association of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Signers of the letter included 13 pastors, four monsignors and ten present or past officials of the local chancery. One of them, the Rev. John Klein, 29, said that he was quitting as vice chancellor of the archdiocese because, among other things, of "the present rigid, pyramid structure of church authority."

Very few of the protesters have prior reputations as priestly radicals, and Lucey himself has long been considered one of the most progressive members of the American hierarchy. He pioneered the desegregation of Catholic schools in Texas and risked financial reprisal from wealthy businessmen when he blessed the formation of labor unions by Mexican American farm workers. But Lucey has also been a stern administrator, and last year he transferred several priests who had been involved in the Priests' Association to remote parishes in his 32-county see. A friend of Lyndon Johnson's, he has also supported the U.S. stand in Viet Nam.

Last week a chancery spokesman announced that the archbishop was "too grieved and heartsick over the matter to discuss it." Evidently, he has nothing to fear from Rome. Shortly after the priests' petition was mailed, Lucey received a letter from Pope Paul bestowing his "specific apostolic blessing" on the archbishop.

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