Archbishop Says He Never Vetoed Sr. Joan Chittister's Invite to Australian Conference

Catholic News Agency ^ | 7/29/19

[marshmallow]

Melbourne, Australia, Jul 29, 2019 / 03:30 pm (CNA).- On June 24, Sr. Joan Chittister, O.S.B., told the NY Times that she had been disinvited to speak at a 2020 conference of Australian educators, because Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne had not endorsed her as a speaker.

“It is pathetic,” Chittister told the NY Times.

“These teachers for the next generation of thinkers are being denied the right to pursue ideas,” she added.

Chittister’s remarks led to allegations that Comensoli was unjustly censoring free speech, or prohibiting Chittister because he disagreed with her ideas.

One Melbourne Catholic told the Sydney Morning Herald that Comensoli’s decision was “foolish arrogance” and another said that Comensoli “has betrayed his own rhetoric and has gone against the spirit of what Pope Francis wants - for us to be open and accountable.”

But the Archdiocese of Melbourne says there is only one problem with that account: Comensoli never vetoed Chittister’s appearance.

On July 26, after more than a month of controversy over the matter, the Archdiocese of Melbourne issued a statement saying that during the month of May, Comensoli was “advised (as part of early Conference planning discussions), of a proposal for Sister Joan Chittister to speak at the National Catholic Education Commission Conference to be held in Melbourne in September 2020.”

According to the archdiocese, “Comensoli requested that more names aligned to the themes of a national Catholic education conference be considered.”

Comensoli was apparently unaware that Chittister had, in fact, already been invited.

[Salvation]

http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/

Dissenting Authors and Speakers

Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB A supporter of Call to Action who promotes women priests.