Pope asks Cardinal Hume not to retire

Admirers express 'delight' and call for another five years
By ANDREW M BROWN THE Poi E has asked Cardinal Hume to stay on as Archbishop of Westminster, the Cardinal's office announced last week. Cardinal Hume had tendered his resignation at the beginning of February, in advance of reaching the retirement age of 75 on 2 March.
The expectation is that the much-loved Cardinal may stay until 2002, which would coincide with the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Her Majesty the Queen, who is known to be an admirer.
Cardinal Hume was installed as Archbishop of Westminster on 25 March, 1976, and created Cardinal two months later. After Cardinal Bourne, who was a cardinal for 24 years and archbishop for 32, Cardinal Hume is the longest-serving English cardinal since the restoration of the hierarchy in 1850. In the recent past, Cardinal Cabal Daly continued as Archbishop of Armagh until he was 79, and Cardinal Konig was Archbishop of Vienna until he was 80.
This week the Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks, told the Catholic Herald that he was "absolutely delighted" that Cardinal Hume was to stay on. "Cardinal Hume has been one of the outstanding religious leaders in Britain," Dr Sacks said. The Archbishop of Canterbury said it had been "a great pleasure and a privilege" to work alongside the Cardinal in areas of common concern, and he very much looked forward to continuing to do so.
Lord Rees-Mogg was one of a group of influential lay Catholics who discreetly supported Cardinal Hurne's elevation in 1976. He told the Catholic Herald that there had been a feeling that after Cardinal Heenan, who was of Irish descent and had a strong administrative training, it was time to have someone from the English tradition rather than the Irish, and of a spiritual more than a bureaucratic tendency. "Cardinal Hume has greatly reduced the feeling that Catholics are some kind of strange minority," he said.
Ann Widdecombe MP said she vvould like to see Cardinal Hume remain at Westminster for "at least" another five years. Lord Longford said: "He has proved himself to be a truly great spiritual leader of the Catholic community and of Britain generally." Cardinal Hume was in Rome this week for a meeting of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
• HOME SECRETARY Jack Straw said on Monday that he would arrange to meet Church representatives to discuss their concerns about the Human Rights Bill. Mr Straw insisted that the Bill "places great store by religious freedom". Cardinal Hume's office said he would consider any invitation on his return from Rome.