Retired Australian bishop calls for ecumenical council to change teachings on sexuality
April 28, 2010
A retired Australian bishop has said that the sex-abuse scandal cannot be reolved unless the Church holds an ecumenical council and amends traditional Christian moral teaching.
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson told The Australian that the Church should reconsider teachings on sexuality and on the ordination of women. He also suggested that some of the priests who molested boys were not aware that they were violating their commitment to chastity.
Bishop Robinson resigned from his post as an auxiliary bishop of the Sydney diocese in 2004, shortly after the installation of Cardinal George Pell as the archbishop there. At the time Robinson was only 66: well short of normal retirement age. His public statements on Catholic teachings have frequently drawn fire from his colleagues. In 2008, the Australian bishops' conference issued a warning about Bishop Robinson's published work, saying that he has made misleading statements on "among other things, the nature of Tradition, the inspiration of the Holy Scripture, the infallibility of the Councils and the Pope, the authority of the Creeds, the nature of the ministerial priesthood and central elements of the Church’s moral teaching."
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Further information:
- Child sex `no breach of virtue', some priests believe (The Australian)
- Australian bishops issue warning on retired bishop's book (CWN, 5/13/2008)
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Posted by: -
Apr. 29, 2010 9:44 AM ET USA
Nice to see that there is a Bp. Gumbleton in the land of OZ! Every self-respecting diocese needs one.
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Posted by: -
Apr. 28, 2010 6:52 PM ET USA
Of course a fellow Australian bishop made similar comments earlier-but suggesting that "some priests who molested boys were not aware that they were violating their commitment to chastity" is incredible.One wonders what he'd expect from a change in Church teaching on sexuality,except to somehow try to rationalise the sexual crimes committed against children.If he and other bishops had encouraged all to follow the constant teaching on sexuality & morals,we may not be in the mess we're in now.
