CARDINAL PAUL JOSEF CORDES (1934-2024) – A PERSONAL REFLECTION by Charles Whitehead

It was with great sadness that Sue and I heard of the death on March 15th in Rome of Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes. He had proved to be a great friend of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal during the years he had served as a Bishop and the Vice-President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity  from 1980 to 1995. He had been appointed by Pope John Paul II as the first official Vatican bishop responsible for overseeing the work and ministry of ICCRO – the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office. This office became ICCRS - International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services - and then later CHARIS, the recognised leadership organisation for the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church.

I first met Bishop Cordes in 1988 shortly after I had been appointed to ICCRO to represent Northern Europe. At my first ICCRO meeting in Rome there was considerable concern that Bishop Cordes had declined the invitation to be part of the meeting because of concerns he had about the failure of the Council members to consult him as their official Vatican advisor.

To my surprise, I was asked to contact him to request a personal meeting to hear from him about his concerns in detail, because as the newly appointed member I could not bear any responsibility for whatever had upset him. After the ICCRO meeting was over, I telephoned him and we arranged to meet the following evening at his apartment in Vatican City.

So I duly presented myself to the Vatican Swiss guard on duty at the gate, who escorted me to the appropriate apartment where I met Bishop Cordes. He greeted me very warmly and opened a nice bottle of German Riesling which we consumed together in his very pleasant sitting room, while sharing our respective faith journeys and how they had brought us to our current responsibilities. I found his story very encouraging and positive, and he was happy for me to share it with others when appropriate. For his part, he fully appreciated how my life had changed following my baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1976.

Paul Cordes was born in Germany in 1934, and some years later he felt called to the priesthood and was duly ordained in the Diocese of Paderborn in 1961. He was well regarded by the German bishops, and when Cardinal Wojtyla from Poland made an official 12 day visit to the German dioceses, Fr. Cordes was appointed his travelling companion as he toured the country. He and the Cardinal enjoyed each other’s company and established a very good relationship.

Some time later, Fr. Cordes was taking a course in Rome when the Papal election took place, and he was in the crowded St. Peter’s Square when the new Pope was announced and presented – Cardinal Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II. Of course, Fr. Cordes was delighted, and as he looked up at his friend on the Papal balcony, the Holy Spirit gave him a significant prophetic word for the new Pope. He had no idea when or how he might be able to deliver the prophecy but realised that was not his problem. He just needed to be ready.

The following morning, he was walking through the Vatican Gardens to his place of study when, to his amazement, he saw the new Pope walking alone towards him. They greeted each other warmly, and it transpired that the Pope had managed to slip away from his new team in order to have a short walk alone, which of course allowed Fr. Cordes to give him the prophetic word. It had a visible effect on the Pope, who was profusely grateful to his German friend, and they parted again on the warmest of terms. He has never shared with anyone the content of those prophetic words.

Fr. Paul Cordes completed his course in Rome and returned to Germany, where in 1976 to his great surprise he was made a bishop and then in 1980 appointed to serve as the Vice President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome. That was when the Pope made him responsible for overseeing the rapidly expanding International Catholic Charismatic Renewal. From their time together in Germany, John Paul II knew that Cordes was personally quite open to the Renewal.

Bishop Cordes and I enjoyed several evenings together in Rome in 1988, which included dinners in some fine restaurants, and later when the ICCRO leaders met again I was able to give a very positive report after which Bishop Cordes joined the meeting. Our President, Fr. Diego Jaramillo from Colombia, had to resign because of extra responsibilities given to him by his bishop, and to my great surprise I found myself elected to succeed him as the President of ICCRO, with an office in the Vatican and regular meetings with Pope John Paul II. I continued to meet with Bishop Cordes whenever I was in Rome, and with his help and advice I worked to re-structure ICCRO so that it became ICCRS – International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services – headed up by an internationally elected Council.

Interestingly it was with Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, that I had to work out and document all the changes that had to be made. In his priesthood, Fr. Ratzinger had been regarded as an excellent theologian, and he always described himself as “a friend of the Charismatic Renewal”. 

Over the years Bishop Paul Cordes was always amazingly helpful and encouraging, giving his full support to all the necessary changes. I continued to work with him throughout the years of my Presidency of ICCRS, and he always supported the Charismatic Renewal . We remained in positive contact after he was moved on in 1995 to the Vatican Council COR UNUM, where he was appointed Cardinal in 2007.

My wife Sue and I kept up our contact with him, and on an official Cor Unum visit to the UK a few years ago he came to our home for breakfast on his way north from London – the only gap in his short and very hectic programme! We were planning to see him again in Rome this May 2024, and are very sad this is no longer possible.

We give the Lord many thanks for His wonderful servant and our good friend – Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes. He will be much missed by many, but may he enjoy every moment of his wonderful new heavenly life!

Charles Whitehead KSG

(Past President of the Council of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal

Picture: (CNS photo from Catholic Press Photo)