Gulf Times (Qatar)
July 18, 2008
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=230623&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21
SYDNEY: The angry parents of two Australian girls abused by a Catholic priest flew to Sydney yesterday to demand that Pope Benedict XVI make good on a pledge to apologise to victims of predatory clergymen.
The Pope's visit to Sydney for the World Youth Day celebrations has been marred by continuing controversy over the church's response to abuse and allegations it tried to cover up sex crimes.
 |
| Australian Aborigines perform in front of Pope Benedict XVI at Bangaroo East Darling Harbour in Sydney yesterday. The Pope yesterday warned hundreds of thousands of young Catholics of the perils of pop culture and pillaging the earth’s resources after a rapturous welcome at the world’s biggest Christian festival |
The pontiff indicated en route to Australia that he would apologise for abuse during his visit, but a Vatican official on Wednesday cast doubt on that pledge, saying he believed the Pope had not used the word apology.
But Anthony and Christine Foster, the parents of the two victims, demanded that the pope follow through with his apology, urging him to grant them an audience to address the abuse issue.
"I can't really understand why they're backpedalling on that," said Anthony Foster. "We need an apology and we need action."
He said church inaction would only increase the pain and suffering of victims and their families.
Foster's daughter Emma committed suicide this year aged 26, after struggling to deal with abuse by a Melbourne priest, Father Kevin O'Donnell, at a primary school.
Her sister Katie, who was also abused, turned to alcohol in her teens and was left brain-damaged after being hit by a car while drunk.
O'Donnell died in prison in 1997 after being convicted for multiple sex offences, but the Fosters had to fight an eight-year legal battle for compensation from the church, local media reported.
Several sex abuse cases are still going through the Australian courts. Yesteday, a Sydney jury retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a Catholic priest who denied 20 charges of raping and indecently assaulting teenage boys at a school between 1977 and 1988.
Benedict had indicated to journalists on his plane on the way to Sydney on Sunday that he would apologise to Australian victims of sex abuse.
He said he would examine how the church can "prevent, heal and reconcile" the past crimes of the clergy. "This is the essential content of what we will say as we apologise," the Pope said in English.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said yesterday it was up to the church to decide whether the Pope should apologise to Australian victims as he did in the US in April.
The historic apology in the US was "a source of great comfort and healing," said the prime minister, but "this is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgements of the church."
Rudd later told Australian commercial radio that sex abuse by the clergy was "horrendous" and had caused enormous damage to families and individuals.
"What I do note also - the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain, and you would say sometimes better than others.
"But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case."
Broken Rites, a support group for victims of church-related sexual abuse, says 107 Catholic priests and religious brothers have been sentenced in Australian courts on sex charges.
Australian bishops apologised for past abuses in 2002 and the head of the Australian church, Cardinal George Pell, has said papal comments on the issue would be "a welcome contribution."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.