Keywords: Bishop Bill Morris
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 03 November 2011
27 Comments
The Pope believes agnostics and Christians are on a shared journey, committed to peace and human dignity. The concept of the shared journey has consequences for the life of the Church, as in the Bishop Bill Morris saga, but also for events such as the Qantas controversy.
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INFORMATION
- Pat Power
- 28 October 2011
40 Comments
As a close friend I have been aware for a number of years of his problems with the Holy See. I admired how he tried to have an honest conversation with Vatican officials and finally with the Pope himself. I do not believe he always felt there was genuine reciprocity in the dialogue.
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 25 October 2011
86 Comments
The issues raised by Bishop Bill Morris' dismissal were not about the Pope's right to act, but about the transparency of the process. The Australian Bishops' letter about the matter is an act of closure. But troubling questions remain.
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RELIGION
- Frank Brennan
- 14 October 2011
Mary visited Rome as a young religious woman when she was being persecuted by local bishops for being too independent. She got a good hearing from the Pope and great assistance from Fr Anderledy who became the Superior General of the Jesuits. If only Bishop Bill Morris could have received the same sympathetic hearing.
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 13 October 2011
25 Comments
Most churches are ageing and limited in their ability to engage with governments. As well as controvesies such as the Bill Morris dismissal and the handling of sexual abuse, the Australian Bishops visiting Rome this week will discuss ways to build on the strenghts of the Church in Australia.
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RELIGION
- Frank Brennan
- 13 September 2011
5 Comments
The Church of the 21st century should be the exemplar of due process, natural justice and transparency. While there can be little useful critique of the final decision of Pope Benedict to force the early retirement of Bishop Bill Morris, there is plenty of scope to review the processes leading up to it.
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 21 July 2011
30 Comments
A petition circulating among Australian Catholics offers a sombre picture of the state of the Church. To some Catholics petitions seem inappropriate. But they have the value once attributed to canaries in the mineshaft: their witness is dismissed at the mine owners' peril.
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AUSTRALIA
- Andrew Hamilton
- 20 June 2011
22 Comments
Whatever his failings, former Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland was a patently good man. His resignation followed a disedifying and concerted campaign against him by media groups, the police union, some of his colleagues and many politicians. It is hard to see any good coming out of this affair.
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RELIGION
- Andrew McGowan
- 19 May 2011
14 Comments
Anglican bishops are not appointed more democratically or transparently than Roman Catholic bishops, although there are better-known processes and lines of accountability. And they would have better legal redress should anyone try to get rid of them.
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RELIGION
- Frank Brennan
- 17 May 2011
31 Comments
I have known Bill Morris as priest and bishop for 30 years. He is a good man — no flash academic but the most down to earth pastoral guy you could meet. His forced departure from Toowoomba has been some years in the coming. He is right to claim that he has been denied natural justice.
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AUSTRALIA
- Michael Mullins
- 16 May 2011
17 Comments
While the Australian bishops' letter indicates that they accept the decision to sack former bishop of Toowoomba Bill Morris, there is nothing to suggest that they agree. In fact they carefully distance themselves from the decision.
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 16 May 2011
38 Comments
The treatment of Bishop Bill Morris risks further blurring the image of the Church. The story told of a good man who encouraged his church, who was resolute in dealing with sexual abuse, but was removed in an untransparent process, will confirm many in their distrust of the Church.
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