Doctrinal Issues behind Bishop's Removal, by Anthony Barich, The Record, May 19, 2011

Doctrinal Issues behind Bishop's Removal

By Anthony Barich
The Record
May 19, 2011

http://www.therecord.com.au/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2559&Itemid=27

Bishop William Morri. Photo courtesy Diocese of Toowoomba

TOOWOOMBA Bishop William M Morris was asked to resign six times by three Vatican dicasteries and Pope Benedict XVI himself before the Pontiff finally insisted that he leave office on 2 May, leaked documents have revealed.

It has also been revealed that Bishop Morris asked Vatican dicasteries for more time to resign as he was dealing with a protracted case involving sexual abuse.

Brisbane Auxiliary Bishop Brian V Finnigan, whom the Pope appointed as the Toowoomba diocese's apostolic administrator on 2 May, praised Bishop Morris' handling of the sexual abuse of 13 young girls at the hand of a former Catholic primary school teacher in the Toowoomba diocese during 2007 and 2008.

"The scourge of sexual abuse has confronted the diocese," Bishop Finnigan told Australian Associated Press on 3 May.

"The good work that Bishop Morris has done to address the needs of the victims will continue into the future."

The former teacher, 61, admitted last year to the abuse. Bishop Morris accepted legal liability for the abuse immediately and the Church entered into mediation with the victims.

Pope Benedict's removal of Bishop Morris, 67, came after more than a decade of conflict between the prelate and the Vatican, documents obtained by The Record reveal.

The document - prepared by Fr Peter Schultz, Toowoomba's judicial vicar, and Fr Peter Dorfield, former vicar general of the diocese - entitled Summary History of Bishop Morris' dispute with the Roman Dicasteries, is an addendum to a seven-page defence of the prelate sent on 29 April to priests, leaders and the head of Christian denominations in the Toowoomba region.

It reveals that the conflict originally stemmed from Bishop Morris establishing guidelines for the use of General Absolution within the celebration of Communal Rites of Reconciliation, which were in conflict with papal guidelines.

Retired Auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson of Sydney said on ABC Radio on 1 May that the issue of General Absolution was the original source of the rift between Rome and Bishop Morris.

Bishop Morris "felt the Third Rite was doing an immense amount of good, and was loath to abandon it. In fact, he said he wouldn't," Bishop Robinson said.

Pope John Paul II's 2002 apostolic letter Misericordia Dei ("The Mercy of God"), warned that there are "some places" where there has been "a tendency to abandon individual confession and wrongly resort to 'general' or 'communal' absolution."

Sources in Toowoomba told The Record that General Absolution had been provided in the diocese several years prior to Misericordia Dei, commencing shortly after Bishop Morris was ordained as Bishop of the diocese on 10 February 1993.

The issue of General Absolution led to a dispute between the prelate and Cardinal Francis Arinze, then-Prefect of the Congregation for Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

"For a number of years, Bishop Morris had been in regular and difficult discussions with the Congregation (Cardinal Arinze) over our pastoral use of General Absolution in the Communal Rite of Reconciliation," the Toowoomba College of Consultors' document said.

"His position on this sacramental matter was seen as defiant and ongoing opposition to the position of the Congregation."

Then, in his 2006 Advent Pastoral Letter, Bishop Morris stated that, "if Rome would allow it", he would be prepared to ordain married priests and women priests.

He also said that due to an ageing clergy, the Church should be open to recognising the validity of Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting Church Orders.

"Given our deeply held belief in the primacy of Eucharist for the identity, continuity and life of each parish community, we may well need to be much more open towards other options for ensuring that Eucharist may be celebrated," Bishop Morris said in the 2006 Advent Pastoral letter. "As has been discussed internationally, nationally and locally, the ideas of ordaining married, single or widowed men who are chosen and endorsed by their local parish community; welcoming former priests, married or single, back to active ministry (and) ordaining women, married or single."

This, and a failed attempt to bring Bishop Morris to Rome to meet Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, then-prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Arinze and Cardinal William J Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, led to Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput's apostolic visitation from 24-27 April 2007.

This visit included an interview with Bishop Morris and many other people throughout the diocese.

A memorandum dated 28 June 2007 from the Congregation for Bishops arrived in Toowoomba in September that year requesting Bishop Morris' resignation.

He replied on 17 September that he would "reflect" on it and reply after his October holidays.

This prompted a 6 November 2007 letter from the congregation stating the request for his resignation was being made "in the name of the Holy Father".

Bishop Morris asked the three Cardinals in a meeting on 19 January 2008 in Rome if he could speak to the Pope but was told "this would only be permitted after he had resigned", the document said.

The Bishop told Cardinal Re in a letter on 24 January 2008 that "he felt unable to resign", which was followed by another letter from the Cardinal on 13 February 2008 again calling on the prelate to resign.

After a failed request by Bishop Morris to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura seeking advice in defending his position, Cardinal Re again demanded Bishop Morris resign by the end of November 2008 in a letter dated 23 October 2008 that also stated that if the resignation was not forthcoming the Bishop would be removed.

This letter cited the report of Archbishop Chaput that "the general theological climate of the diocese, priests and people was considered to be in theological and disciplinary decline".

Bishop Morris replied on 19 December 2008, saying that "in conscience, he could not resign."

He then wrote to the Pope on 24 December 2008, and met with him on 4 June 2009 where the Pontiff "reiterated the demands of the three Cardinals and indicatd that the Bishop's talents lay elsewhere than as the Bishop of a diocese".

"The Pope urged Archbishop (Philip) Wilson (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president, who accompanied the prelate in the meeting) to work with Bishop Morris to find him a suitable position in the Australian Church," the document said.

Cardinal Re again asked for Bishop Morris' resignation in a 9 July 2009 letter, prompting him to write to the Pope clarifying his position that "in conscience, he could not resign from office".

Pope Benedict replied on 22 December 2009, requesting that Bishop Morris resign from office, reminding him there is no appeal from papal decisions.