AUSTRALIA
The Age
Barney Zwartz
June 13, 2012
AUSTRALIA’S last openly progressive Catholic bishop, Canberra’s Pat Power, has resigned, citing the Vatican’s inability to listen and the twin crises of clergy sex abuse and the shortage of priests as the most vexing issues facing the church.
Bishop Power, 70, was not due to retire for five years, but will step down on June 30. With Toowoomba bishop Bill Morris sacked by the Pope last year, Bishop Power was the last Australian bishop prepared to challenge the Vatican publicly.
He called sexual abuse ”a terrible stain on the church”, and said the Vatican habit of secrecy had provided conditions for sex abuse and many other forms of abuse to thrive.
He said it was essential for the Vatican leadership to be aware of the real issues touching the lives of the faithful. ”Sadly, I don’t think they have a good grasp of that reality and when things are tough, as they are now, there can be a temptation to bunker down.”
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