AUSTRALIA
The Canberra Times
Barney Zwartz
June 13, 2012
Australia’s last openly progressive Catholic bishop, Canberra’s Pat Power, who is retiring at the end of the month, says the Vatican’s inability to listen and the twin crises of clergy sex abuse and the shortage of priests are the most vexing issues facing the church.
Bishop Power, 70, was not due to retire for five years, but will step down on June 30.
With Toowoomba bishop Bill Morris sacked by the Pope last year, Bishop Power was the last Australian bishop prepared to challenge the Vatican publicly. He called sexual abuse ”a terrible stain on the church”, and said the Vatican habit of secrecy had provided conditions for sex abuse and many other forms of abuse to thrive.
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