Australian bishop announces retirement following apostolic visitation
May 02, 2011
Following a 2006 pastoral letter expressing support for women’s ordination and an apostolic visitation led by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, an Australian bishop has announced his early retirement in a letter read at all Sunday Masses in his diocese.
“It has been determined by Pope Benedict that the diocese would be better served by the leadership of a new bishop,” Bishop William Morris of Toowoomba said in his letter. “I have never seen the Report prepared by the apostolic visitor, Archbishop Charles Chaput, and without due process it has been impossible to resolve these matters, denying me natural justice without any possibility of appropriate defense and advocacy on my behalf.”
Bishop Morris added that he had refused to resign but “was prepared to negotiate an early retirement.”
Born in 1943, Bishop Morris was ordained Bishop of Toowoomba in 1993.
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Further information:
- Bishop of Toowoomba, William Morris, claims unfair dismissal by Pope (The Australian)
- Full text of letter
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Posted by: Joseph Paul -
May. 03, 2011 6:54 AM ET USA
Thank God for Pope Benedict. Maybe Bishops will think twice now when they think they can write pastoral letters which are in open conflict with Church doctrine. The fruit of the work of any Bishop is the number of vocations coming from his diocese during his tenure. Almost none on Bishop Morris's watch and none currently in formation. That says it all.
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Posted by: Obregon -
May. 02, 2011 10:35 PM ET USA
And he states, "without due process.!" "Isn't that a nice way of saying the Pope was not fair to me?"
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Posted by: -
May. 02, 2011 9:49 PM ET USA
Just pack up your things and go — now.
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Posted by: parochus -
May. 02, 2011 7:14 PM ET USA
It's about time that the Pope put a head on a spike.
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Posted by: -
May. 02, 2011 3:10 PM ET USA
Hey, sounds like perfectly good 'due process'folowed by 'natural justice' to me
