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	Ten U.S. Bishops Ask Retired Sydney Bishop to Cancel Book Tour The Tidings June 13, 2008 http://www.the-tidings.com/2008/061308/robinson.htm Ten U.S. bishops called on Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, retired auxiliary bishop of Sydney, Australia to cancel his controversial U.S. book tour so as not to promote disunity and confusion in the church. However, Bishop Robinson said he would continue his speaking engagements about his 2007 book, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus." In their letter to Bishop Robinson, dated May 9, the U.S. bishops noted that the Australian Bishops Conference Committee on Doctrine and Morals called attention to the "problematic positions" Bishop Robinson has taken on women's ordination, celibacy and conscience formation. They also pointed out that the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops wrote to the bishop asking him to cancel his U.S. visit. "Lest your visit and talks be a source of disunity and cause of confusion among the faithful of the particular Churches we serve, we ask you to abide by the request of the Congregation for Bishops and cancel your speaking tour in the United States," wrote the U.S. prelates. The letter was signed by Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle, Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center, Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, and Bishop Robert Brom of San Diego. Bishop Robinson's May 16-June 12 tour was set to include stops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ontario, Ohio, Washington and California. The bishop said he stands behind his critique of authoritarian and sexual abuses in the church but does not want a battle. Bishop Robinson, who also served as former head of the Australian bishops' panel investigating clergy sexual abuse, told Catholic News Service May 21, "A fight between me and the (U.S.) bishops is really something I'm not interested in." In a telephone interview from New Jersey, he also commented on a May 6 statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference expressing concern about doctrinal problems in the book. Bishop Robinson said the Australian bishops "did what they felt they had to do and I have no problem with that." The Australian bishops said there were "doctrinal difficulties" that undermined the ability of the Catholic Church to teach the truth "authoritatively," casting doubt on Bishop Robinson's certainty about the "knowledge and authority of Christ himself." In his May 16 written response to the Australian bishops, Bishop Robinson described the objections as "disappointing." "My book is about the response to the revelations of sexual abuse within the church. Sexual abuse is all about power and sex, so it is surely reasonable to ask questions about power and sex in the church," he said. The Australian bishops acknowledged in a May 6 statement their indebtedness to Bishop Robinson "for his years of effort to bring help and healing to those who have suffered sexual abuse" and for his work in establishing professional standards for church personnel in Australia. "We do not question his good faith," the bishops said. "However, people have a right to know clearly what the Catholic Church believes and teaches, and the bishops have a corresponding duty to set this forth." The bishops said Bishop Robinson's questioning of the authority of the church "is connected to Bishop Robinson's uncertainty about the knowledge and authority of Christ himself. "Catholics believe that the church, founded by Christ, is endowed by him with a teaching office which endures through time," they said. "This is why the church's magisterium teaches the truth authoritatively in the name of Christ. The book casts doubt upon these teachings." The bishops also rejected the reformist proposals advocated by Bishop Robinson in his book. They stated that "the authority entrusted by Christ to his church may at times be poorly exercised, especially in shaping policy and practice in complex areas of pastoral and human concern. This does not, in Catholic belief, invalidate the church's authority to teach particular truths of faith and morals."
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