Australian bishops had a special meeting with top Vatican officials in mid-October to discuss the case of a bishop Pope Benedict XVI removed from office after years of tension with a variety of Vatican offices.
The meeting with the cardinals was “an indication of the seriousness with which the Roman authorities in the dicasteries here want to enter into dialogue with the Australian bishops in looking at these issues,” said Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, president of the bishops’ conference.
The bishops promised the people of Toowoomba and all Australian Catholics that they would discuss the case with Vatican officials during their “ad limina” visits Oct. 10-22, Archbishop Wilson said.
Australian bishops who spoke to Catholic News Service in October described their “ad limina” visits, which are required of bishops to report on the status of their dioceses, as a prayerful, spiritual group experience. In addition to meeting the pope and Vatican officials, they made a pilgrimage to the Benedictine monastery at Subiaco, had a retreat day and celebrated Mass at the four major basilicas of Rome.
The 38 bishops also dedicated the altar in the chapel of the Domus Australia, a new pilgrim house in Rome, which Pope Benedict was scheduled to inaugurate Oct. 19.
Sharing with Vatican officials and “praying and reflecting on the situation in Australia,” the bishops naturally wanted to discuss the situation of Bishop Morris and how to promote healing in his diocese, Archbishop Wilson said.
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