Australia's Catholic bishops have agreed to send
parishioners' questions to the Vatican over the early retirement of
Toowoomba Bishop Bill Morris.
But the 42 bishops are divided about a
separate petition asking them to put particular questions to the Pope
when they make their five-yearly visit to the Vatican in October,
reports the Age.
The bishops' conference general secretary Father Brian Lucas told the
paper that more letters than could be answered had been sent to the
conference, to individual bishops and to the papal ambassador in
Australia - and the bishops wanted the petitioners to know their
concerns had been heard.
A statement about Bishop Morris lodged on the Australian Catholic
Bishops Conference website last week says the bishops have received the
petition by Toowoomba Catholics, but they have no jurisdiction.
To help deal with the petitioners' questions, the bishops will ask
the Vatican doctrine watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, about the infallibility of the church's teaching barring the
ordination of women.
Concerns about the process by which Bishop Morris
was removed will be referred to the Congregation for Bishops.
The Catholics for Renewal
group has sent a letter to all 1369 Australian parishes, but some
bishops, including Canberra Archbishop Mark Coleridge, have told parish
priests not to distribute the letter or its request for signatures.