Catholic Church a 'law unto itself' Archbishop tells royal commission
February 8 2017
Rachel Browne
The Catholic church is a "law unto itself" in need of serious cultural reform if it is to properly address widespread allegations of child sexual abuse within its ranks, a royal commission heard.
The Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse there was a lack of transparency within the church.
VIDEO: Child abuse Royal Commission: a look back Painful and difficult stories in their thousands emerge from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
"We are, as it were, a law and a world unto ourselves," he said.
The third day of the three-week public inquiry into Catholic church authorities is examining the factors behind clerical sexual abuse.
Brisbane Catholic Archbishop Mark Coleridge. Photo: Melissa Adams
The inquiry heard there were multiple causes including the church's hierarchical structure, poor governance, lack of women in leadership roles and a culture of secrecy.
"We haven't yet embraced adequately a transparency that is appropriate . . . for an unusual community of communities like the Catholic church," Archbishop Coleridge said.
"A culture of concealment is one of the things we have to put behind us."
The Holy See has previously declined a 2014 request from the royal commission to release documents relating to Australian clergy accused of child sexual abuse
Royal commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan. Photo: Jeremy Piper
"The Holy See responded . . . that it was, and I quote, 'Neither possible nor appropriate to provide the information requested'," counsel assisting the commission Gail Furness SC told the hearing on Monday.
Catholic authorities had a "great deal more work" to do on improving culture, Archbishop Coleridge told the commission.
Patrick Parkinson is a professor of law at the University of Sydney and president of the International Society of Family Law.
"Cultural change is . . . extremely difficult but it is the task at hand," he said.
[ Let's not forget there would be more who did not come forward. ]
Peter Johnstone, president of Catholics for Renewal and a former senior public servant, told the inquiry the real numbers could be higher.
"The statistics ... are quite conservative given that they're based on those who have come forward," he said.
Mr Johnstone said greater inclusion of women would help change the culture of the church.
"Women are half the population and should be involved in good governance," he said. "That sort of thing has to be said very clearly to the Pope, to the Holy See, to the bishops of this country."
Archbishop Coleridge told the hearing that women were playing a more significant role.
"There has been an increasing tendency to include both lay people and women particularly in decision-making processes, with real responsibility," he said.
"If the Catholic church says it cannot ordain women we are obliged to explore ways in which women can exercise genuine responsibility in the decision making processes at the highest levels."
Patrick Parkinson, a professor of law at The University of Sydney, told the commission there may have been a "culture of facilitation" in male religious orders which explained the high proportion of alleged perpetrators in orders such as St John of God, the Christian Brothers and the Marist Brothers.
"That gave people permission, I suspect, to continue offending," he said.
The hearing before Justice Peter McClellan continues.
George Pell: the ultimate boss of the Catholic Church in Australia lived with convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale whilst he was committing his crimes and then also accompanied him to court as an act of “priestly solidarity”, something he now says he regrets. https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=50241909
There is to be a police public announcement any minute. It's expected he will be given a court date to appear.
He continues with his work in the Vatican. It's reported Pell is seen as 3rd in the Vatican hierarchy. He looks after Vatican finances.
On now the announcement. Pell is being charged on summons with multiple offenses.
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