Liberal Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen said Vatican officials have indicated he will regain full control of the Seattle archdiocese. Hunthausen, who returned Tuesday from a week in Rome, said he was ``hoping for some kind of a statement'' within weeks that will officially end the Vatican's direct assistance to the archdiocese. But a conservative Catholic group charged Wednesday that violations of church practices are continuing and said it will not let up in its criticism. ``I haven't seen a great change here,'' Margaret Hoffman, director of the Sons of St. Peter Coalition, said Wednesday. ``I've seen things happen currently that are not in line with church teaching. I think we as laymen have a duty to report abuses ... for the health of the church.'' Hunthausen's weeklong visit to Rome was to fulfill the requirement that bishops consult with the pope every five years. The archbishop ran afoul of the Vatican in 1983 over the granting of annulments and general absolution of sins, intercommunion with Protestants and opening of churches to meetings of homosexual Catholics. A Vatican investigation resulted in the archbishop being stripped of much of his power. Although Hunthausen's full powers were restored in May 1987 on the recommendation of an apostolic commission appointed by Rome, the panel continued to assist in the operation of the Seattle archdiocese. Most recently, Hunthausen has shared authority with Coadjutor Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy, who accompanied Hunthausen to Rome to present Pope John Paul II and Vatican officials an overview of changes made and planned in the ministry. Hunthausen said there would be no visible changes in the way he handles the archdiocese's operations, now that some changes and clarifications have been made or at least initiated. An archdiocesan statement said Vatican officials also were told Hunthausen's critics appear ``bent on undoing the fabric of unity that exists among sincere and conscientious believers within the Body of Christ. ... In our judgment, their criticism ought not to be given serious attention.'' Hunthausen said Wednesday the ``small cadre'' of critics within the archdiocese are ``people with a different view of the church.'' ``We'd love to be able to find a way to minister to them,'' he said.
