Bishop Ferrario remembered for his pursuit of social justice

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

Bishop Joseph Ferrario's 11-year tenure was marked by his efforts to encourage interfaith cooperation, many say. Advertiser library photo • January 1988

Mourners in the downtown church sat quietly by the open casket, amid stargazer lilies and pungent pua kenikeni lei, remembering the former leader of Hawai'i's largest faith organization. Three bishops and an archbishop are expected at today's ceremonies.

When Ferrario became Honolulu's third bishop in 1982, about 30 percent of the state's population was Roman Catholic. Today, a decade since his retirement, it remains Hawai'i's dominant faith organization.

An editorial written May 23, 1982, after Ferrario was named by the pope to replace Bishop John J. Scanlon, predicted that he would be even more outspoken than his predecessor "and perhaps even controversial for some at times."

Those words proved to be an understatement.

Ferrario, who ran the diocese for 11 years before retiring for health reasons, was the first bishop to rise from within Hawai'i's ranks. He also was the first U.S. bishop to be accused of sexual abuse, though those charges were later dismissed.

Ferrario led a push to keep Planned Parenthood from performing abortions on Roman Catholic church property in Honolulu, a battle won by concession.

He made social justice issues a centerpiece of his 11-year tenure, and he was a leader in interfaith efforts. But the Vatican overturned two of his decisions: an attempt to sell St. Augustine Church in Waikiki at the height of Hawai'i's real-estate boom in 1988, and the 1991 excommunication of six of his leading critics.

Joseph Ferrario was installed as the third Roman Catholic bishop of Honolulu in 1982. Advertiser library photo • June 29, 1982

"(Ferrario) was not afraid of standing up for what's right," said Tom Dinell, professor emeritus of urban and regional planning at the University of Hawai'i and former director of Catholic Charities under Ferrario, "but he didn't hold a grudge after."

Dinell gave an example of a woman who had criticized the church's decision to give land for a homeless shelter in Ma'ili. Later, Ferrario stopped by her house as she lay dying of cancer to administer the sacrament of last rites, now called anointing of the sick.

"Those most opposed later became strong supporters," Dinell said.

Ferrario's interfaith efforts also were widely admired. He helped with the Council of Churches, an organization that later evolved into the Interfaith Open Table, and counted among his friends Episcopal Bishop Edmund Browning, Rabbi Avi Magid and Buddhist Bishop Yoshi Fujitani, with whom he met regularly for breakfast or at one of the men's offices to discuss the issues of the day.

Now retired and living in Oregon, Browning, 74, remembers being "good friends, genuine friends" with the man he called "a very courageous clergyman."

"But he still had that kind of gentle compassion," Browning said. "I think it was out of his compassion that his social justice came. That doesn't set well with all people."

"Being head of a diocese is very time consuming, as you can imagine," Magid recalled. "These guys were all extremely active in social justice and interfaith issues. It was during a time when there was a lot going on. The beast of finances hadn't jumped in and consumed all of our time. We weren't chief executive and chief financial officers. There really was a time for some serious philosophical reflection."

When it came to social justice, Ferrario was "very avant garde," and carried out the spirit of reformation brought about by Vatican II, said Sister Jeanne Anne Collis whom Ferrario appointed as vicar for the religious, a liaison between congregations and the bishop's office.

"He went to great lengths to include women in ministry positions," she said. "He's also the one responsible for starting the commission for the women. ... He was a very just man for all seasons."

Rollie Smith, whom Ferrario tapped to help reorganize Catholic Charities, recalled him as "a good man, very oriented to peace and justice. He was ecumenical, really interfaithful, to his fingertips."

The reorganization was difficult, Smith said: "We had to let the top leadership go because of many improprieties, as well as because the organization was stagnant. I think he showed quite a bit of courage in carrying through with that."

Ferrario interacted well with Hawai'i's many cultures and religions, Smith said, adding that "He knew that faith transcended any particular belief system, including that of the Catholic creed. ... His only failing was that he was too kind. What a failing to have."

Fujitani, the Buddhist bishop, remembered hitting it off with "Father Joe." He also had fond memories of Ferrario's installation, held at the Neal Blaisdell Center.

"It was a rather big thing," Fujitani said. "He wanted our participation, too, and invited me to be there representing the Buddhist community. It was interesting, proper for me to bring some kind of gift, so I decided to bring some incense. Somebody commented, 'You're one of the wise men from the East.' "

Fujitani also recalled a retreat that he spent with Ferrario and Browning.

"Early in the morning, Father Joe would go out walking," he said. "It wasn't a brisk exercise, but meditative. He'd walk among the trees, Bible in hand, having religious rites by himself.

"He was a very devout person."

Reach Mary Kaye Ritz at 525-8035 or mritz@honoluluadvertiser.com.