Bishop Hubertus Leteng, 58, was accused of borrowing $94,000 from the Indonesian bishops' conference, as well as $30,000 from the Diocese of Ruteng. Continue reading

On one side are critics of "creeping infallibility," meaning a steady expansion of the set of church teachings that lie beyond debate. On the other are those, including Benedict, worried about "theological positivism," meaning that there is such a sharp emphasis on formal declarations of infallibility that all other teachings, no matter how constantly or emphatically they've been defined, seem up for grabs.

Read John Allen's article in National Catholic Reporter

Image: World Catholicism Week

About 200 people gathered for a quiet prayer session opposite Bishop Morris's Toowoomba home at Queen's Park on Tuesday evening, while another group gathered at the city's St Patrick's cathedral.

Eight Toowoomba diocese priests on Tuesday issued a statement expressing support for the catholic bishop.

"The far greater majority of priests and lay people of the diocese have found the pastoral leadership of Bishop Morris to be constructive, informed and life-giving," they said.

Father Peter Dorfield, the vicar general of the Toowoomba diocese, and one of eight priests who co-authored the letter of support, told AAP Bishop Morris helped the families of the victims seek civil court action if they wanted it.

"He encouraged compassion and justice for these families," he said.

Fr Dorfield says, compared to what Bishop Morris did for the community, his sacking over his 2006 letter seemed trivial.

"In our view, Bishop Morris has not been treated fairly or respectfully," the joint statement says.

"We find his removal profoundly disheartening."

Priest of the diocese and supporter of Bishop Morris, Fr Jamie Collins said "A lot of people feel hurt and devastated by what's happened, especially as he has always been so open and transparent in his own leadership. I think their faith will be affected in some way, but I think like Bill, they're not angry but sad. It has caused them to question their faith in Church leadership."

Another priest who wished to remain anonymous, said he had been approached by Catholics who threatened to leave the Church.

Bathersby supports Rome

Brisbane's Archbishop John Bathersby says the Pope must have had a good reason to sack the bishop of the Diocese of Toowoomba in Queensland, and while he does not know the "ins and outs of the situation" he knew Bill very well, and the outcome saddened him.

Bathersby said he supported the actions Rome had taken.

Temple Police

For his part, Bishop Morris, on Tuesday said he was not angry about his forced resignation. He was however "sad".

The problem is the "temple police", a group of about 15 parishioners and priests and what they do is continually protest to Rome," Bishop Morris said. "Naturally the Vatican doesn't get letters from all the people who are happy," he said.

Bishop Morris said it would be wrong for people to walk away. "The important thing is to keep going, working together and making sure there is true justice through transparency".

Sources

• Image: Toowoomba Chronicle
• Manawatu Standard
• Brisbane Times
• The Age
• Bishop backs 'good' bishop's sacking
• Faithful angry over Bishop William Morris' dismissal

In making the announcement, Morris says he has been targeted over comments he made five years ago, comments that have been deliberately misrepresented.

In a 2006 letter to parishioners Bishop Morris raised the prospect of the Church considering the ordination of married men and women to help counter a looming shortfall in priests.

The letter has been "misread and I believe deliberately misinterpreted by a small group (which has) found my leadership and the direction of the diocese not to their liking".

Following up the complaint, the Vatican began an investigation which included an apostolic visitation and ongoing discussions with the Vatican-based congregations for Bishops, Divine Worship and Doctrine of the Faith and even the Pope.

"Appalling" is how ousted priest, Fr Peter Kennedy described the situation.

"Bishop Morris is a man of an amazing amount of compassion … people generally in the diocese know the compassion of this man and the goodness of this man," Fr Kennedy said.

However Kennedy is not surprised by the Vatican's decision.

"It was John Paul II who said the actual ordination of women could never be discussed even and it was interesting to hear he was beatified yesterday," he said.

"The absolute authority of the Vatican that is held over bishops - you've got to remember that bishops, when they become bishops, promise obedience of mind and will to the Holy Father."

Catholics in the Toowoomba diocese say they are in shock after their bishop was forced to quit after the dispute with the Pope.

"There is a whole range of reactions - some people are just shocked and saddened, some people were in tears, some people were extremely angry," Fr Dorfield said.

"Some people were just shaking their heads - just simply couldn't comprehend how a man who was so well regarded in our diocese, prayerful and pastoral, could be considered as not suitable to be the Bishop."

The chair of the diocese and pastoral council in Toowoomba, John Elich, says Bishop Morris has done an extraordinary job.

"Bishop Bill Morris has been poorly and unfairly treated and secondly, I guess disappointed on behalf of the church that a decision could be made with no forms of natural justice whatsoever - no access even to a report that was prepared," Elich said.

Bishop Morris had been among a handful of Queensland bishops considered to contain the frontrunners for the role of archbishop of the Brisbane Archdiocese, to be vacated later this year by the retirement of Archbishop John Bathersby.

A vigil mass will be held outside the Bishop Morris's house in Toowoomba tomorrow.

Sources

• Courier Mail
• ABC
• ABC News