By Tim Palmer
ABC News
May 16, 2010
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/17/2901234.htm?section=justin
The Catholic Church in Australia faces new allegations of failing to act against priests involved in sexual abuse, after an ABC investigation revealed cases in which priests found by the Church to have committed offences continue to conduct church services.
The revelations, to air on The 7:30 Report tonight, come days after Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell wrote a press release putting forward the Australian Church's processes to deal with abuse as a model for the Church in other countries.
Sex abuse allegations have dogged the Catholic Church around the world, in countries including Ireland, Germany and Brazil.
In his release Cardinal Pell stated that under the Australian Church's Towards Healing program, those found to be abusers are permanently removed from the ministry.
But the ABC has found that last August, weeks after one such investigation finished with a Sydney bishop apologising to victims of a priest in his diocese, the priest celebrated mass in a church across the road from the bishop's office.
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| Still conducting church services last year: Fr Finian Egan |
And Melbourne's Archbishop Dennis Hart has conceded that a Yarraville priest, who was judged to be an abuser in a 2005 Church investigation, has continued to perform mass on numerous occasions, most recently two months ago.
In the Sydney case, the ABC has obtained the Church's findings against Father Finian Egan, formerly of St Gerard's Church at Carlingford.
Kellie-Anne Roche is one of two women whose allegations were upheld. She was abused as a teenager in the 1980s.
She says Father Egan's continued association with the Church is outrageous.
"It's called Towards Healing but nothing they did has helped me heal," she told The 7:30 Report.
"If anything, it made me feel like they were protecting him.
"I would advise victims to go to the police, not Towards Healing. I don't trust them."
The other victim, who does not wish to be identified, was abused while at St Gerard's primary school. She is equally scathing of the Towards Healing program.
"In my experience it hasn't given me any justice or healing whatsoever," she said.
Both women say their main motivation in making a complaint was to see Father Egan removed from any role in the Church or involvement with children.
They say they were told their cases would be dealt with in a few months.
Instead they have run more than two years.
Apology
Last July Bishop David Walker of the Broken Bay diocese wrote to each woman stating his intention: "...to apologise to you for the way you have been treated by Finian Egan."
"What happened to you is contrary to what is expected of a member of the clergy. We proclaim a Gospel which sees this behaviour as totally unacceptable, and I regret that you have been exposed to it by a member of our clergy."
But the following month Father Egan was the celebrant at an evening mass at St Agatha's Church in Pennant Hills, across the road from Bishop Walker's office.
That mass was advertised across the diocese as honouring Father Egan's 50 years as a priest.
The involvement of Father Egan, with no mention of the Church's findings against him, devastated both victims.
"It makes you feel like a victim again. Even though the Church upheld my allegations and they tell me that they believe me, they don't show it by taking away his robes as a priest," Ms Roche said.
Father Egan remains listed as a retired priest in the diocese online directory, with a phone number, apparently available for supplementary duties or weddings.
After the Church's initial findings against Father Egan, and with the Broken Bay bishop still to determine his future, he played golf in a Church tournament representing the Broken Bay Diocese Education Office.
And last October, three months after the Broken Bay bishop's apology, he played again in the tournament representing Mary Mackillop Girls' School, and partnered with that school's principal.
Father Egan chose not to comment for the story but insisted on his innocence throughout the Church inquiry.
Distressing
In Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart has conceded the victims of Yarraville priest Father Paddy Maye will have suffered further because the priest continues to conduct mass.
In 2005 an investigation by the Church in Melbourne found Father Maye had sexually groped two sisters in their family home. He was also found to have committed a serious sexual offence against another woman.
Father Maye refused to take part in the investigation but denied all the allegations of inappropriate conduct. He was stood down from his duties in 2005.
But since 2007 the Melbourne Archbishop has written on at least three occasions to Father Maye telling him to stop conducting masses. So far the letters have made no difference.
In March, Father Maye conducted a mass for the Irish community in Clifton Hill.
A spokesman for Archbishop Hart replied to questions about Father Maye's continued ministry, saying: "The Archbishop recognises that when Father Maye contravenes his explicit directions, this can be distressing to Father Maye's victims. He apologises to them and will take appropriate action against Father Maye."
It is unclear how widely within the Church the findings against Father Maye are known.
But in February The Catholic Weekly reported on a party for the retired auxiliary Sydney Bishop David Cremin, for which one of the other noted guests flown up from Melbourne was Father Maye, an old friend of the retired bishop.
Senior Church figures attended, including Monsignor John Usher, the Chancellor of Cardinal Pell's Archdiocese and a man who is closely involved in the Towards Healing process.
So far Cardinal Pell has made no comment about the evidence of the two priests having continued ministry and other associations within the Church.
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