Response to the Statement of the Australian Bishops - Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
15/5/08 - Following is Bishop Geoffrey Robinson’s brief but very direct response to the statement by the Australian Catholic Bishops…
The statement of the Australian bishops is not unexpected, but it is disappointing. My book is about the response to the revelations of sexual abuse within the church. Sexual abuse is all about power and sex, so it is surely reasonable to ask questions about power and sex in the church. In their statement, the bishops appear to be saying that, in seeking to respond to abuse, we may investigate all other factors contributing to abuse, but we may not ask questions concerning ways in which teachings, laws, and attitudes concerning power and sex within the church may have contributed. This imposes impossible restrictions on any serious and objective study, and it is where I have broken from the Bishops Conference. We must be free to follow the argument wherever it leads - Bishop Geoffrey Robinson.
See: http://www.catholica.com.au/breakingnews/017_bn_160508.php
- Letter of support from another priest…
- The Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger Mahony, has written to Bishop Geoffrey Robinson denying him permission to speak on Church property in his territory and has endeavoured to urge Bishop Robinson to cancel his speaking tour in North America. Catholica has received this news, and the text of Cardinal Mahony’s letter via Robert Blair Kaiser and Frank Douglas. Mr Kaiser, who is the author of the controversial novel, “Cardinal Mahony”, also responds. This news story has partly been triggered because Robert Kaiser is in the course of preparing a promotional trip to Australia for the Australian release of his book, “Cardinal Mahony — A Novel” and he came across this sensational story in the course of preparing for his trip to our country.
Tags: Australia, Catholic Church, Sex Trade, USAAdd new tag