Papal praise for Liverpool's prelate

• by Joanna Moorhead POPE John Paul has paid tribute to the "outstanding personal achievements" of Archbishop Derek Worlock of Liverpool, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the episcopate with a mass concelebrated with 400 priests and 52 bishops.
The mass, in a packed Liverpool cathedral, was also attended by Cardinal Basil Hume, Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Luigi Barbarito, the Duke of \jorfolk, six MPs, the Chief L'onstable of Liverpool and six mayors. Representatives from other churches, including Anglican Bishop David Sheppard who has worked closely with the archbishop, were also among the congregation.
Those present heard a message from Pope John Paul which spoke of the "richly fruitful" years of Archbishop Worlock's bishopric, first in Portsmouth and then in Liverpool. He had established a dialogue with the Anglican church, and had worked to encourage priestly vocations, better pastoral understanding, and for the right training for young people, the Pontiff continued.
,In his homily, Cardinal Hume said the bishops, clergy and laity all had good cause to be grateful to Archbishop Worlock. To the bishops' conference, he had brought "quite exceptional skills and experience", to the priests, friendship, particularly in his support of the National Conference of Priests; and to the laity, greater understanding of their dignity and role as baptised persons.
And Cardinal Hume said his own debt to Archbishop Worlock would "never be repaid as I would wish".
"The contribution that your archbishop has made to the church in Liverpool and to this city does not have to be rehearsed by me. It is well known and much appreciated by all of you," said Cardinal Hume.
He recalled Archbishop Worlock's role in three significant occasions which he recalled had also centred on Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral. One was the National Pastoral Congress of 1980 which, the cardinal said, had "identified an agenda, inspired new attitudes of collaboration, and set free energies that will continue to enliven our church in England and Wales".
The second was the Papal Visit of 1982 and its service of reconciliation in the cathedral, an occasion which "represented a milestone in that process of healing and new beginnings that has become characteristic of the Christian communities in this city".
And the third event was, said Cardinal Hume, the recent inauguration of the Council of Churches of Britain and Ireland, which marked "a new commitment by all our churches and ecclesial communities to work together towards Christian unity and to be a sign to our society of God's kingdom."
• AMONG other letters of congratulation and support to Archbishop Worlock on his jubilee was a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, who said the archbishop's enthusiasm and commitment to ecumenism remained "a symbol of encouragement for us all".
And in the House of Commons, a motion congratulating Archbishop Worlock was signed by more than 100 MPs. Tabled by Liverpool Catholic MP David Alton, the motion thanked the archbishop "for his immense contribution to the social and spiritual life of the nation" and praised his work in promoting "strong ecumenical bonds in a community previously divided by sectarianism".