The appointment of 'party-line' bishops

Originally a bishop was appointed over a diocese by the local church. The role played by the Pope in Rome has grown over the centuries. At times, the influence of Rome has been beneficial to a local church. But in recent years the Pope has abused his role by systematically selecting only candidates who are anti-reform.

Online documentation

• The Modern Theology of Tradition, J P. Mackey , 1962, ch. 3&4. A comprehensive survey of theological views on the 'Sensus fidelium'.
• A stringent new secret examination of candidates for the episcopacy eliminates any priest who shows signs of disagreement with Vatican policies.
• An oath of fidelity ensures that new bishops feel bound to observe to the letter all instructions received from Rome.
• Constant pressure is put on bishops 'to resolutely refuse any support to those people, whether individuals or groups, who defend the priestly ordination of women, whether they do so in the name of progress, human rights, compassion or whatever reason it may be' (Letter of the Congregation for Doctrine to Bishops, Osservatore Romano 13 September 1983).
• Individual bishops receive detailed instructions from Rome regarding supposed 'dissidents' in their dioceses.
• A Pope the Laity Want, by Joan Chittister (1999).
• 'A Love that Dares to Question, by Bishop John Heaps (2001).
• Church without Women Leaders. Will women ever govern the Roman Catholic Church?, by John Wijngaards (2006).
• Women Bishops? Views in the Roman Catholic Church, Official and Otherwise, by John Wijngaards (2008).
• Bishop: Total re-examination of Catholic faith, culture needed, review in The National Catholic Reporter of a talk by retired Australian Bishop Geoffrey Robinson. (2012)

Books about this in print

• Theological Faculty of Tuebingen (Hans Küng), Bishops and People, Westminster Press 1970.

The suppression of the rights of Bishops' Conferences, the Synod of Bishops and individual bishops

As a check against excessive centralisation of all power in Rome, the Second Vatican Council laid down the rights and duties of Bishops' Conferences for ruling the Church in each country It also established the Synod of Bishops with the express purpose of provinding a counter-balance against the Vatican Congregations.

Australian Bishop William Morris, who publicly questioned the Church's rejection of married priests and women priests, tells the story of his dismissal.

Online documentation

• The Synods of Bishops, which were instituted by the Vatican Council to curb curial monopoly, have been deprived of any real influence by a rigging of the agenda, by saturating committees with members of the Roman Curia, by a subtle censorship of bishops' contributions, by selectively omitting resolutions voted on by the bishops. This has been documented in detail for the Synod on the Family. Similar manipulations took place at the Synods on Evangelisation, on the Laity, on Africa, on Asia, on Europe, to mention but a few (see The Tablet, correspondence 16 Oct – 20 Nov 1999).
• Theologians and the Magisterium, by Richard A. McCormick. From Corrective Vision, Explorations in Moral Theology, Sheed & Ward, 1994, Chapter 7.
• Violence in the Church, by Fr. Camilo Macisse (2003).
• The Wilkinson Report, on the shortage of priests the Catholic Church is facing in Australia.

Books about this in print

• J. Grootaers and J. A. Selling, The 1980 Synod of Bishops On the Role of the Family, Louvain 1983, 375 pages.

For a new vision, see: Authority in the Catholic Church