Lucrezia Magazine

Twelve Catholic bishops have demanded Geoffrey Robinson, a retired auxiliary bishop, avoid their dioceses and cancel his US book tour due to his controversial position on church celibacy.

In his book, Confronting Sex and Power in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus, Robinson discusses celibacy and how it has contributed to sexual abuse, along with other discussions about its use and misuse of power. According to the Los Angeles Times:

In a joint letter last month, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles and nine other US bishops warned Bishop Robinson that his visit could be "a source of disunity and cause of confusion among the faithful of the particular churches we serve".

"I hereby deny you permission to speak in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles," Cardinal Mahony wrote to Bishop Robinson, citing a bishop's authority under canon law that was repeated in separate letters from the bishops of Orange County and San Francisco.

They noted an investigation of his book by Australian bishops found "doctrinal difficulties".

But Bishop Robinson, 70, said he had no intention of cancelling any part of a trip that began in Philadelphia on May 16 and brings him to California tomorrow.

The book is currently in its fourth reprint and can be viewed or purchased from John Garratt Publishing.