AUSTRALIAN bishops have met with Vatican officials to discuss Bishop William Morris’ retirement as Bishop of Toowoomba.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference issued a statement in Rome on October 21 at the end of their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican.
During their time in Rome, the bishops had individual meetings with Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal William Levada.
They also had a joint meeting with Cardinal Ouellet and Cardinal Levada.
In the statement, the bishops said “our discussions with them were substantial, serious and candid”.
“These meetings have given us a more adequate understanding of what was done by the Holy See in an attempt to resolve the difficulties with Bishop Morris, which concerned not only matters of Church discipline but also of Church doctrine definitively taught, such as on the ministerial priesthood,” the statement said.
“What the Holy See did was fraternal and pastoral rather than juridical in character.
“Although efforts continued over many years, a critical point came when Bishop Morris failed to clarify his position to the satisfaction of the Holy See and then found himself unable to resign as Bishop of the Diocese when the Holy Father made the request.”
Bishop Morris retired in May when the Holy See announced Bishop Brian Finnigan would become apostolic administrator of Toowoomba diocese until a permanent appointment is announced.
“What was at stake was the Church’s unity in faith and the ecclesial communion between the Pope and the other bishops in the College of Bishops,” the Australian bishops’ October 21 statement said.
“Eventually Bishop Morris was unable to agree to what this communion requires and at that point the Pope acted as the Successor of Peter, who has the task of deciding what constitutes unity and communion in the Church.
“We express our acceptance of the Holy Father’s exercise of his Petrine ministry, and we reaffirm our communion with and under Peter.
“We return to Australia determined to do whatever we can to heal any wounds of division, to extend our fraternal care to Bishop Morris, and to strengthen the bonds of charity in the Church in Australia.”
