Australian Catholic Leader in Sex Abuse Row before Pope's Visit, AFP, July 8, 2008

Australian Catholic Leader in Sex Abuse Row before Pope's Visit

AFP

July 8, 2008

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNjyIRA7azP-eGfDIUFRqLk8jy-w

SYDNEY (AFP) — The leader of the Catholic church in Australia Tuesday denied trying to cover up allegations of sex abuse against a priest, just days before Pope Benedict XVI is due to visit for World Youth Day.

Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell acknowledged the latest scandal was an embarrassment ahead of the Pope's trip, during which the pontiff is expected to apologise to victims of predatory priests.

But Pell defended his actions over sex abuse allegations against Father Terence Goodall, which he said had been investigated by the church and police and had resulted in the priest being stood down.

Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell

"There was no attempt at a cover-up," he said. "Both sets of allegations against Father Goodall were carried to their conclusions."

The cardinal admitted, however, that a letter he wrote to Anthony Jones, who had accused Goodall of sexual abuse after a swimming session some 20 years earlier, was "badly worded and a mistake."

In the 2003 letter, obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Pell told Jones an internal report did not support his accusation of attempted aggravated sexual assault.

But the internal report, compiled by layman Howard Murray, had in fact accepted all Jones' allegations.

Pell also told Jones there were no other complaints against Goodall.

But in another letter obtained by the ABC and dated the same day, Pell told a second man he accepted his claim that he had been indecently assaulted by Goodall as an altar boy when he was 10 or 11.

"My letter to Mr. Jones was badly worded and a mistake," Pell said.

"I was attempting to inform him that there was no other allegation of rape and I overstated my agreement with Murray, who found all allegations sustained."

Pell said he would not step aside, adding that he hoped the case would not be an issue by the time the Pope arrives in Sydney on Sunday ahead of a global celebration of Catholic youth.

Pell, who pioneered protocols to deal with sexual abuse by the clergy in Australia, agreed that the timing of the case was embarrassing.

"Yes, it is of course," he said.

The issue of sex abuse by priests has dogged the Catholic Church for years and led to Pope Benedict XVI making a historic apology for the actions of child-abusing clergy during a visit to the United States in April.

The Pope is under pressure to apologise for similar actions within the Australian branch of the church during his July 13-21 visit to Sydney.

But Anthony Jones, now 54 and living on a disability pension, said a papal apology would be meaningless.

"What's the point of an apology when the senior ranking titled cleric in the Catholic church of Australia is still covering up sex abuse," he said.

"I believe Cardinal Pell should resign."

Broken Rites, a support group for victims of church-related sexual abuse, says that 107 Catholic priests and religious brothers have been sentenced in Australian courts on sex charges.

But it believes many more cases have gone unreported or have never made it to court because the victims have taken their complaints to the church instead of the police.