By Jano Gibson
Sydney Morning Herald
July 16, 2008
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world-youth-day/bishop-puts-foot-in-it/2008/07/16/1216162910430.html
The co-ordinator of World Youth Day, Bishop Anthony Fisher, today responded to a question about Cardinal George Pell's handling of a sexual abuse case by saying people are "dwelling crankily ... on old wounds".
And this afternoon Cardinal Pell did not respond to reporters' questions about Bishop Fisher's remarks.
Bishop Fisher's comments came after ABC's Lateline last night reported on Anthony Foster, whose daughters were raped by Melbourne priest Kevin O'Donnell when they were in primary school.
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| Bishop Anthony Fisher and, inset, Katherine, Emma and Anthony Foster. |
Mr Foster alleged Cardinal Pell stalled the family's compensation claim against the Catholic Church when he was archbishop of Melbourne.
Asked about the broadcast, Bishop Fisher told this morning's World Youth Day press conference: "The cardinal and I were otherwise occupied last night enjoying the youth festival so we didn't see the Lateline story.
"All I've seen is the reports in the newspapers today.
'Old wounds'
"Happily, I think most of Australia was enjoying [and] delighting in the beauty and goodness of these young people and the hope for us doing these sorts of things better in the future, as we saw last night, rather than dwelling crankily, as a few people are doing, on old wounds."
He said Cardinal Pell had led the church in trying to put in place better processes to deal with sexual abuse claims.
"I am convinced that he has done all he can and will continue to receive, as I hear today that was suggested on Lateline, some ways that we might improve processes for the future.
"We are happy to hear any constructive advice on how we can do this better in the future. In the meantime to do all we can to prevent this happening again and to bring healing and justice to the victims of these terrible cases."
He could not say if Cardinal Pell would meet Mr Foster, but said Cardinal Pell had a long history of meeting victims of clerical sexual abuse.
Open to meeting
"He is very open to meeting victims. And if that can be constructive, if there can be a genuine conversation, I suspect again he is a generous and compassionate man and he will want to do what he can to heal these victims as any others."
Cardinal Pell, the leader of the Catholic Church in Australia, said he was "very saddened'' and described the story as "one of the worst things that can happen for a young woman".
He said although the events happened before his time as archbishop of Melbourne, he was involved in dealing with it.
Apologised
"I apologised to Emma in 1998," he told reporters in Sydney today before making an address at a World Youth Day event.
"I met with her parents. We offered them some financial help. We also offered them counselling.
"Emma availed herself of that counselling for 10 years and we contributed substantially towards those counselling costs.''
Dr Pell would not say whether he would meet with Mr Foster.
"My apology still stands," he said. "I repeat it. It has never been withdrawn. It has been a tragic case in every sense of the word and I repeat my apologies."
But Dr Pell added that he took no part in the civil case then launched by the Fosters.
"I left Melbourne in 2001," he said. "In 2002, as is their right, [the Fosters]initiated a civil action. I was not named as a partner in that civil action; nor named as a defendant. I took no part in that civil case."
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