Lentorama 2012: Know Your Diocese


Day 28: Diocese of Toowoomba


You could probably guess by the name that this is in Australia, created in 1929 and covering southwest Queensland. I'd only picked this because of the name, but it turns out there's a bit of recent scandal to provide some color. William Morris was made bishop in 1992, and not long afterwards was the target of reports of unorthodoxy, which he helped fan by circulating a letter in 1996 calling for discussion of ordaining married men as priests. He was called to Rome to discuss this, but never went, citing pastoral reasons for not making the trip. 


After what amounted to an inspection in 2007 and several years of wrangling with various Vatican types (and a 2009 audience with the Pope), Morris did the "you can't fire me, I quit" thing in 2011, though the papal nuncio to Australia said the next day that Morris had been removed. He was made "bishop emeritus," a sure-fire sign that he'd been put out to pasture. There's been an ongoing war of words between Morris and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and to date there's not been a new bishop named. Rome may want to get on that.