The Great Legacy of Denis Hurley

by Dr Raymond Perrier · Published February 1, 2024 · Updated February 1, 2024

February 13 will mark 20 years since the death of Archbishop Denis Hurley. This is a timely moment to reflect on his contribution to the Church and to society in South Africa — to look backwards, naturally, but also to look forward; to assess what he achieved in his time but also to ask ourselves what we are doing in our age.

Many readers will have a vivid memory of the late archbishop in person or from the pages of The Southern Cross, and some might actually have worked with him, but for others he might be no more than just a name. So it is worth starting with a quick summary of who he was.

Born in 1915 in Cape Town to Irish parents, young Denis was educated by the Dominican Sisters and the Marist Brothers — he felt a lifelong debt towards both. He then joined the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) aged only 17. His training in Ireland and in Italy — during the rise of fascism — gave him a broader perspective of South Africa to which he returned shortly after his ordination, just at the start of the Second World War. In 1947, he was raised to the episcopate, becoming the youngest bishop in the world aged 31, and then the youngest archbishop aged 35.

These years coincided with the rise to power of the National Party and the tightening grip of apartheid. Historians point to Archbishop Hurley as one of the few senior Christian leaders of his age to stand up resolutely against the racism of the system, a towering figure alongside Dutch Reformed Dominee Beyers Naudé (his exact contemporary) and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Powerful in Church, society

If all he did until his retirement as archbishop in 1992 was to continue fighting for justice, he would be a powerful figure. But he was also focused on reform, in his Church as well as in his country.

Archbishop Hurley’s contribution to Vatican II — both through his speeches in St Peter’s and his ability to move easily between English and French-speaking bishops and theologians — earned him the description of being one of the “men who made the Council”. It was fitting that afterwards Pope St Paul VI gave him the mammoth task of coordinating dozens of Anglophone bishops’ conferences around the world to agree on a single English-language translation of the Mass and other services. For that work, he has a claim to being the most widely-read South African writer ever.

Yet, his closeness to Pope Paul did not prevent him from questioning the section on contraception in the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, and what he saw as its failure to live up to Pope Paul’s own standards of collegiality.

The Second Vatican Council — which Hurley described as “the greatest adult education programme in history” — shaped the rest of his life and empowered him alongside others to shape the Church in South Africa through a renewed commitment to justice, an active programme of ecumenical engagement, and a desire to find ways of drawing closer to people of other faiths.

Hurley’s promotion of lay people to places of influence in the Church and his investment in the education of children, clergy, religious and laity empowered generations of Southern African Catholics who helped open up the Church “so that we can look out to the world and the world can look in”.

Having survived death threats, a looming treason trial, bomb attacks and vilification, he died peacefully in 2004 aged almost 90, having lived long enough to witness the fulfilment of the dream of a democratic South Africa — but not long enough to see the dream squandered by greed and selfishness.

In light of his many achievements, his vision for a renewed and reformed Church, and his personal holiness, the notion of Hurley one day becoming St Denis of Durban does not seem so fanciful. We hope and pray that the time is now right for the start of such a process.

But the reason for doing so is less about honouring him — I believe that the Lord has already done so — but rather for using his mission to remind us about our own. Hurley asked himself difficult questions and did not shy away from the answers that he found, no matter how much they demanded of him. Are we willing to do the same?

Questions to ask

They are questions that we can and should ask of those in leadership positions in the Church today. But we must start by asking the questions of ourselves. Hurley knew that you cannot bring about reform unless you are personally willing to change. So on the 20th anniversary of his death — and the 30th anniversary of democracy and the 60th anniversary of Vatican II — the vision of Archbishop Hurley should prompt us to ask:

What is my response to all the injustices that I see around me?
What sacrifices am I willing to make to bring about a better society?
What racist or sexist prejudices do I still carry around which mean that I fail to see every person as fully made in God’s image?
How do I participate fully in the liturgy and help others to do so?
In what ways do I connect with my Christian sisters and brothers in our shared mission to preach the Gospel?
How comfortable am I in embracing people of other faiths and being willing to learn from them?
How seriously do I take my responsibility to the planet?
Am I constantly open to learning and growing in all areas of my life?
Am I willing to step up in my vocation as a lay person, a religious, a priest or a bishop, or am I just biding my time and hoping God will not ask anything of me?

The motto that young Hurley chose when he was made a bishop came from 2 Corinthians: “Where the Spirit is, there is freedom” (3:17). Archbishop Hurley’s life is a model of what happens when we let the Spirit take over — not a life of ease, or quietness or complacency, but instead a life of spirit-filled endeavour which can help each us to find our own freedom and bring others to freedom.

Twenty years on we need, more than ever, to draw on the inspiration of Archbishop Hurley. The unrealised potential of our Church and our nation still lies before us, if only we have the courage and the freedom to work for it.

Throughout 2024, the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban — which is celebrating its own 10th anniversary — will be hosting a series of events to explore the themes of Archbishop Hurley’s life and connect them with our mission today. For more details e-mail