Australian bishop quits over row with Pope

SYDNEY—An Australian Roman Catholic bishop has quit his post over a row with the Vatican about women priests and other liberal reforms, saying that Pope Benedict XVI thought it best he be replaced.

William Morris, who has been the Catholic Bishop of the vast Queensland diocese of Toowoomba since 1993, told parishioners on Sunday that he was taking early retirement.

In a letter read at weekend mass services, 67-year-old Morris wrote: “it has been determined by Pope Benedict that the diocese would be better served by the leadership of a new bishop.”

The dispute stems from Morris’ comments five years ago that the church could consider ordaining married men and women because of a looming shortage of priests.

Morris, who was ordained in 1969, said his views had been misinterpreted and he had been denied natural justice.

The Vatican was expected to make a statement later Monday.

“We are advised that this announcement will express his acceptance of early retirement but we understand that because of the setting, it is much stronger than that,” Toowoomba’s vicar-general Father Peter Dorfield said.

“In effect it is a removal from office,” he told ABC Radio.

Morris’ retirement, which comes some eight years before the normal retirement age for bishops of 75, left some Catholics in tears and local priests have reportedly called a meeting Thursday to discuss their next step.

The resignation follows that of fellow Australian Catholic priest Peter Kennedy two years ago because of his views on the ordination of women and gay unions.