27 November 2014, The Tablet

Benedict, Me and the Cardinals Three

by William M. Morris, reviewed by Christopher Lamb

Retired hurt

 
It’s hard not to see the case of the Bishop of Toowoomba, William Morris, as a David and Goliath battle between a plucky pastor of the outback and the implacable might of the Roman Curia.In Benedict, Me and the Cardinals Three, Bishop “Bill” Morris describes how three curial cardinals, and later Pope Benedict XVI, sought to remove him from office over a period of four years. In 2011 Morris – who led a sprawling diocese twice the size of Britain and where priests regularly do a 500km round trip to celebrate Mass – finally went. He did not resign but he “retired”. And, to use a cricket analogy, he retired hurt.So why the determination to remove a bishop who led a small and relatively unknown diocese in rural Australia? Bishop Bill is a man inspired
Get Instant Access

Continue Reading


Register for free to read this article in full


Subscribe for unlimited access

From just £30 quarterly

  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
  PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.

Already a subscriber? Login