For 60 years Cardinal Edward Cassidy, 85, has asked himself this question. The answer, of course, is ‘no use at all’ – but what if that vault could be opened and the gold within was everlasting?
“God has given us the vault and it is filled with lessons of goodness, compassion and understanding,” Cardinal Cassidy said. “Each priest has a key to the vault, by way of being a priest and if he wasn’t there, no one could reach the things inside.” This explanation was originally given by St John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests. To honour the 150th anniversary of St John Vianney’s death, Pope Benedict XVI has declared 2009-2010 the Year of the Priest.
Cardinal Cassidy said that St John has given us a model of how priests today can live their lives, through example and prayer. “The Year of the Priest is a special celebration which will allow priests to reflect on their mission and have a good look at themselves,” he said. “What exactly is our work? What is our job and how should we be doing it?” Few are more qualified to discuss this than Cardinal Cassidy. Internationally admired and respected, he rose from parish priest of Wagga Wagga at 25, to become the highest-ranking clergyman in Australian history, eventually working alongside Pope John Paul II.
“After three years at Wagga I was asked by the Bishop to go to Rome to study,” he said. “From there I joined the Vatican diplomatic corps and for over 30 years represented the Holy Father in Asia, Europe, Latin America and South Africa.”
Cardinal Cassidy said it wasn’t his choice to move abroad but as a priest it was his duty to accept the church’s decision. “We are called to the priesthood. From then on we are no longer our own men but men of God and the church.”
Throughout his career in the diplomatic service, His Eminence represented the Vatican in eight countries. Those postings included Ireland, Holland and Argentina as well as the developing nations of San Salvador, Bangladesh and South Africa. “I especially enjoyed working in mission countries where you become more closely involved with the people. We were providing aid in a personal way which is more in line with the mission of the church.” In 1988 the Cardinal’s career took an unexpected turn when he was called to the Vatican and named Official of State for the Roman Curia by Pope John Paul II.
Only a year later, he contributed to one of the most significant historical events in human history – the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. “I never imagined I’d be asked to work alongside the Holy Father. It was a tremendous experience to work and travel with him to all parts of the world.”
As Official of State, Cardinal Cassidy had a vital role in preparing for Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit to Pope John Paul II on 1 December 1989. It was the first time a Russian communist leader had met with a Pope. “It was my job to help the Holy Father in the lead up to those meetings,” he said. “It was an exciting time because it became clear early on that Gorbachev was no longer going to use the Russian army to stop uprisings in Communist Europe. Within a year the communist system collapsed.”
Working alongside Pope John Paul II in such an important cause, he said, remains one of the highlights of his career. “We were all so delighted. It meant the Church which had been impeded for many years in those communist countries of Europe now had the freedom to run seminaries, educate priests and return to work in the community.”
After two years as Official of State, Cardinal Cassidy moved to a different role as President ¸of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He also headed the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews. “For twelve years I worked with the leaders of the Jewish faith to establish a greater partnership,” Cardinal Cassidy said. “While we have important differences, each faith should be able to work with the other.”
Todd Dagwell, extract from Auora
