Regardless of religious or political affiliation, Seattle lost a pioneering leader last week with the death of Archbishop Emeritus Raymond Hunthausen who died in Helena, MT at the age 96.

Archbishop Hunthausen came to Seattle in 1975, at a time when the world and Seattle was rapidly changing.  As a political leader, as well as religious leader, he sought to bring people together preaching the gospel of love, peace, and openness in Seattle that may have been 20 to 30 years before its time.

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The archbishop was known as a builder of bridges in the Seattle interfaith community. He often met with other Christian leaders around town in an effort to build ecumenism and collaboration. Catholic Community Services of Western Washington became the largest non-profit provider of social services in Western Washington under his tenure.

Yet because of the era and the political climate his messages of peace and inclusion were often controversial. He sought to expand the church’s political focus from the solely pro-life argument to include other social issues like poverty, inclusion, and equity. As a religious leader the archbishop reached out to divorced Catholics and allowed a group of gay Catholics to celebrate mass in the church.  He also established a women’s commission and wrote an open letter on the place of women in the Church.

But it was his political messages that drew the most national attention and sparked the ire of the larger Catholic church. He spoke out against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, even paddling a kayak in protest to the arrival of the Trident nuclear submarine in Puget Sound. In 1982 and 1983 he withheld one half the taxes he owed to the IRS in protest of Regan-era defense spending and advocated that others do the same, eventually forcing the IRS to garnish his wages.

This sparked a letter writing campaign to Rome about the archbishop’s failure to adhere to the more conservative church teachings and eventually the Vatican investigation that resulted in the appointment of religiously strict Bishop (now Washington D.C. Cardinal) Weurl to “share” power. The archbishop was eventually cleared and restored to full power in 1987.

Later in 1988, the Archdiocese of Seattle became one of the first dioceses in the nation to implement a policy to address child sexual abuse by priests and church employees. It was widely criticized as not protective enough, but was still something when many others did nothing at all. He retired in 1991 to his home in Montana and lived his retirement helping out at churches and enjoying his family.

In his time Archbishop Hunthausen changed the Northwest for the better and pushed Seattle forward, maybe before it was quite ready. Many, including myself, will long remember his examples of activism and social justice. He was beloved by many, yet divisive. He was a Pope Francis before Pope Francis, with his the “radical” messages of love and peace on issues that echo many of the controversies the nation faces today. He spoke what he knew in his heart to be true and right despite the consequences. His vision and leadership will be missed.

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