BRISBANE Catholic Archbishop John
Bathersby has expressed deep concern at some of the "vitriolic"
correspondence he has received following the forced retirement of
Toowoomba Bishop William Morris.
He has also called on his flock to remember Christ's teachings of
love and tolerance amid the debate raging around the Bishop's sudden
dismissal.
"What I feel sad about is there will be divisions, and it will last for some time," he told The Courier-Mail yesterday.
Archbishop Bathersby said emotions and personal relationships should not overwhelm the central tenets of Christ's teachings regardless of the passions of the moment.
"I have received some awful letters from people who regard themselves as Christians."
Archbishop Bathersby said he regularly receives strong criticism from "the right and the left" (progressive and conservative) wings of the church, as do his bishops.
Some of it, he says is "vitriolic".
"A lady rang up and was really attacking me for saying he (Morris) was a good person.
"A lady rang up and was really attacking me for saying he (Morris) was a good person.
"With all due respect on reading some of it, I don't know how they'll get into heaven."
He said that debate within the Church was healthy, arguing that, "even among the apostles you will find the disagreements".
His words came as priests from across the Toowoomba diocese converged in the town yesterday to discuss the issue.
Bishop Morris distributed a letter at the weekend in which he claimed that he was forced into early retirement after a five-year investigation sparked by a "disaffected" group that disagreed with his progressive church views.
The new apostolic administrator of the Toowoomba diocese and Brisbane auxiliary, Bishop Brian Finnigan, said that he was looking forward to taking up his new post in the town.
"A lot of people say they don't know whether to congratulate me or commiserate with me but I am going in because the Pope has asked me to and I will be kind, gentle and allow the community time to get over their hurt."
Bishop Finnigan, 72, said he didn't know how long he'd be in Toowoomba, although he felt it "wouldn't be any earlier than six months" until a new bishop was appointed.
He will likely conduct services in the Toowoomba diocese but would also continue his duties with the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
"I prefer not to comment on the whole process, but obviously I have always been a friend of Bishop Bill I still am and always will be," he said.
The
process of selecting a new bishop for the Toowoomba diocese will be
managed by Australia's apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto.