Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba is a Latin rite suffragan diocese
of the Archdiocese of Brisbane
, established in 1929, covering the Darling Downs and south west regions of Queensland
, Australia.
St. Patrick's Cathedral is the seat
of the Catholic Bishop of Toowoomba, currently filled by Apostolic Administrator Brian Vincent Finnigan.
On 2 May 2011, the Holy See
removed Bishop Morris and appointed Brian Vincent Finnigan, Auxiliary Bishop
of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, to serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.
removed Bishop Morris from pastoral care of the Diocese, attracting international press coverage.
Morris was appointed in 1992 to head the Toowoomba diocese, and he became known for his pastoral leadership and his work with diocesan cases of sexual abuse
. There were reports of liturgical unorthodoxy and controversy about his support of the Third Rite of Confession
. In 2006 Morris released a Pastoral Letter calling for discussion of the ordination of married men, and the ordination of women
, to compensate for the lack of priests in his large diocese, and could be interpreted as a challenge to the teaching of John Paul II's apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which said that "the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women." The letter also suggested that the Catholic Church should recognise "Anglican, Lutheran, and Uniting Church
orders".
During December 2006, Bishop Morris received a fax requesting that he come to Rome by February for meetings with Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, then head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops
, William Levada
, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
, and Francis Arinze. Bishop Morris did not attend, citing “pastoral reasons”.
An apostolic visitation of the diocese was conducted by Charles J. Chaput
OFM Cap., former Archbishop of Denver
during April 2007. Chaput reported to the Congregation for Bishops in May 2007. Morris claims that he has never seen this report. Morris then negotiated with several Vatican Congregations for several years. Attempts by Vatican administrators to reconcile Morris with the church's position included several meetings in Rome, where it was reported that he was asked to resign several times.
In December 2008 he wrote to Pope Benedict XVI requesting an audience. Morris was received by the Pope on 4 June 2009. In February 2011 the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia
, Giuseppe Lazzarotto
, wrote to Morris requesting his resignation.
Several hundred people attended two separate vigils on 3 May for Morris in Toowoomba. On 13 May, the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference
(ACBC) issued a statement, stating that they supported Pope Benedict’s decision to remove Bishop Morris. In a statement they noted
At a meeting of the Permanent Committee of the ACBC on 2 August 2011, a petition was presented from many Catholics of the Diocese of Toowoomba in support of Morris. In a statement on 11 August the Permanent Committee said that
In October 2011, Bishop Morris was criticised by some Catholics for recent activities including giving a public lecture, in-service talks to teachers and officiating at parish anniversaries.
Suffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
of the Archdiocese of Brisbane
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Brisbane and covering the South East region of Queensland, Australia....
, established in 1929, covering the Darling Downs and south west regions of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia.
St. Patrick's Cathedral is the seat
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
of the Catholic Bishop of Toowoomba, currently filled by Apostolic Administrator Brian Vincent Finnigan.
Ordinaries
The following individuals have been elected as Bishops of Toowoomba:| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Byrne | 28 May 1929 | 11 February 1938 | Died in office | |
| 2 | Joseph Basil Roper | 13 July 1938 | 14 October 1952 | Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Toowoomba | |
| 3 | William Joseph Brennan | 7 August 1953 | 11 September 1975 | Died in office | |
| 4 | Edward Francis Kelly, MSC Marianites of Holy Cross The Marianites of Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic congregation of nuns, founded in Le Mans, France, in 1841, by the Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC... |
19 December 1975 | 20 November 1992 | Retired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Toowoomba | |
| 5 | William Morris William Martin Morris William Martin Morris, DD served as the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba in Australia between 1992 and 2011... |
20 November 1992 | 2 May 2011 | Removed and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Toowoomba | |
On 2 May 2011, the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
removed Bishop Morris and appointed Brian Vincent Finnigan, Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, to serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.
Controversy
In May 2011, the Holy SeeHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
removed Bishop Morris from pastoral care of the Diocese, attracting international press coverage.
Morris was appointed in 1992 to head the Toowoomba diocese, and he became known for his pastoral leadership and his work with diocesan cases of sexual abuse
Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Australia
The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Australia is part of the wider Catholic sexual abuse scandal which are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders....
. There were reports of liturgical unorthodoxy and controversy about his support of the Third Rite of Confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
. In 2006 Morris released a Pastoral Letter calling for discussion of the ordination of married men, and the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
, to compensate for the lack of priests in his large diocese, and could be interpreted as a challenge to the teaching of John Paul II's apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which said that "the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women." The letter also suggested that the Catholic Church should recognise "Anglican, Lutheran, and Uniting Church
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
orders".
During December 2006, Bishop Morris received a fax requesting that he come to Rome by February for meetings with Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, then head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
, William Levada
William Levada
William Joseph Levada is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Since 2005, he has served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, making him the highest ranking American in the Roman Curia. He was previously the Archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995 and...
, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
, and Francis Arinze. Bishop Morris did not attend, citing “pastoral reasons”.
An apostolic visitation of the diocese was conducted by Charles J. Chaput
Charles J. Chaput
Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving since his installation on September 8, 2011. He previously served as Archbishop of Denver and Bishop of Rapid City .Chaput is a professed Capuchin and...
OFM Cap., former Archbishop of Denver
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...
during April 2007. Chaput reported to the Congregation for Bishops in May 2007. Morris claims that he has never seen this report. Morris then negotiated with several Vatican Congregations for several years. Attempts by Vatican administrators to reconcile Morris with the church's position included several meetings in Rome, where it was reported that he was asked to resign several times.
In December 2008 he wrote to Pope Benedict XVI requesting an audience. Morris was received by the Pope on 4 June 2009. In February 2011 the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia
Apostolic Nunciature to Australia
The Nunciature to Australia is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Australia. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia with the rank of an ambassador...
, Giuseppe Lazzarotto
Giuseppe Lazzarotto
Giuseppe Lazzarotto JCD was born in Carpanè, Italy on 24 May 1942. He studied for the priesthood in the Diocese of Padua, being ordained a priest on 1 April 1967. He undertook post-graduate studies in diplomacy at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, while at the same time completing his...
, wrote to Morris requesting his resignation.
Removal as Bishop
On 1 May 2011, Bishop Morris stated in a letter to parishioners of his Diocese that "it has been determined by Pope Benedict XVI that the diocese would be better served by the leadership of a new bishop," but that he felt that he was being denied "natural justice.". Morris announced his early retirement at age 67, stressing the fact that he had not resigned. On 2 May, the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia announced that the Pope had "removed [Bishop Morris] from pastoral care" of his diocese." At this time, Bishop Morris was appointed Bishop Emeritus of Toowoomba.Several hundred people attended two separate vigils on 3 May for Morris in Toowoomba. On 13 May, the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is the national body of the Bishops of Australia. The President of the Conference is the Most Reverend Archbishop Philip Wilson, DD, D.Litt who was elected to a two-year term in 2006 and re-elected to subsequent two-year terms in 2008 and 2010...
(ACBC) issued a statement, stating that they supported Pope Benedict’s decision to remove Bishop Morris. In a statement they noted
“it was judged that there were problems of doctrine and discipline, and we regret that these could not be resolved. We are hopeful that Bishop Morris will continue to serve the Church in other ways in the years ahead,”.
At a meeting of the Permanent Committee of the ACBC on 2 August 2011, a petition was presented from many Catholics of the Diocese of Toowoomba in support of Morris. In a statement on 11 August the Permanent Committee said that
"the reality of our ecclesial structure is that the Conference is not able to resolve the issues that have arisen. Not only do the local Bishops not have access to all the information on which Pope Benedict came to his decision, but what has happened in Toowoomba is a matter between the Holy Father and Bishop Morris."
In October 2011, Bishop Morris was criticised by some Catholics for recent activities including giving a public lecture, in-service talks to teachers and officiating at parish anniversaries.