Bishop says calls for change are nothing new

Amédée Grab is looking forward to the Pope's visit to Switzerland swissinfo.ch

The president of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference, Amédée Grab, has vivid memories of the Pope’s first visit to Switzerland 20 years ago.

Grab told swissinfo that the pontiff, who travels to Bern on June 5, would be facing the same calls for change within the Church that he heard back in 1984.

Grab, who is bishop of Chur, is considered to be one of the Pope’s men. He took over his diocese in 1998 after his controversial predecessor, Wolfgang Haas, was moved on.

swissinfo: What does the Pope’s visit mean for you?

Amédée Grab: I still clearly remember the Pope’s first visit in 1984. It’s quite moving to take part in the same kind of event 20 years later, even if it’s on a smaller scale.

Personally, I’m very happy to spend time with the Pope here. While it’s true we meet quite often in Rome, his health has meant that these visits have become shorter and more rare. The last time we met was for the swearing-in of the Swiss Guard on May 6.

swissinfo: How significant is this visit for Swiss Catholics?

A.G.: It will be very important for the younger generation. Over the past few decades, there have been tensions within the Church that have been of concern to us.

But for Swiss teenagers and young adults, the Church’s politics is not really an issue. They look to the Pope for guidance.

swissinfo: On June 5-6, the eyes of the world will be turned on Switzerland. What impact will the Pope’s visit have on the country?

A.G.: Whenever the Pope travels to meet Catholics it has some kind of impact. People all over the world respect him, even if they don’t belong to the Church.

The unity and coexistence of Christians everywhere is considered to be increasingly important. This means there is a growing number of people with high expectations of the Pope.

swissinfo: There have been tensions between Swiss Catholics and the Vatican. A recent poll found that a majority of these Catholics wanted a more open and modern Church.

A.G.: These demands have been around for the past 30 years. There was even some friction when the Pope visited in 1984. I don’t know how representative the survey is, but the numbers are impressive.

swissinfo: Most Swiss Catholics want the celibacy rule dropped for priests and for women to be ordained. Is Rome ignoring the demands of the faithful?

A.G.: As a bishop, my experience is not reflected by the survey.

On the one hand, you have these calls for a more modern, more democratic Church, while on the other, bishops face demands from Catholics who side with Rome.

swissinfo: In many parishes, lay people are taking on the duties of priests. Are priests a dying breed?

A.G.: No, I’m not worried about that. In my diocese, Chur, we ordained ten priests last year, ten in 2001, and this year it will be four. So I don’t think there is any crisis.

Rome is aware that we rely on pastoral assistants, and has never challenged us over this issue. The Vatican does, however, warn us regularly of the risk of turning lay assistants into quasi-priests.

These assistants should not replace ordained priests. Some parishes are organised so that they can virtually function without a priest, which I feel is a dangerous development.

swissinfo: A few weeks ago, an open letter from a group of active Catholics called for the Pope to retire. Is that a legitimate request?

A.G.: It is unbelievable how these people have chosen to greet the Pope. I think the letter’s signatories chose their moment to get the most impact.

It is neither the right time, nor the right way to bring this up. The Pope is already 84, so he is well beyond the suggested retirement age.

swissinfo: What do you remember from the Pope’s 1984 visit?

A.G.: What impressed me was that before his visit, many Swiss were negative about his trip, whereas afterwards most people considered it worthwhile.

There was also some tension. Not all the priests who met the Pope agreed with the rules of the Catholic Church, and some of them were calling for a more open Church, just like today.

swissinfo-interview: Gaby Ochsenbein (translation: Scott Capper)

Key facts

Seventy-four-year-old Amédée Grab has been the bishop of Chur and the president of the Swiss bishops’ conference since 1998.
He was the bishop of Lausanne, Fribourg and Geneva from 1995 until his nomination in Chur.
Grab was also chosen to lead the European bishops’ conference in 2001.

In brief

There are around three million Roman Catholics in Switzerland, or 40% of the population. Another third of Swiss are Protestants, while a fifth say they don’t believe in anything.

The last papal visit was in 1984, a trip that was originally planned for 1981, but delayed because of the assassination attempt against the Pope.

Around 100,000 Catholics are expected to turn out during John Paul II’s visit.