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	Churchman Has Regrets for Hurt Caused Wa Today April 28, 2011 http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-national/churchman-has-regrets-for-hurt-caused-20110428-1dyh2.html A senior Catholic clergyman has expressed regret for the hurt caused by his relationships with some young people in the early years of his ministry. In a personal statement, the retired bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes, Bishop Christopher Toohey, said that since leaving the post in 2009 he had time to reflect on his life. "My behaviour within the context of my relationships with some young adults in my pastoral care during the early years of my ministry was not consistent with that required of a good person," he said on Thursday. Advertisement: Story continues below "I sincerely regret the hurt I have caused to these people and their families. "In the light of these reflections I will not be returning to any active ministry in the church." Bishop Toohey did not amplify the behaviour to which he referred. But the statement, issued through the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said he would not be making any further comment "out of respect for the privacy of all concerned." Bishop Toohey's resignation in June 2009 was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI under church regulations linked to health or other causes, but never publicly specified. The previously outspoken bishop was once known as Australia's "eco-bishop" for his strong views on environmental issues. Born in Balmain, in Sydney's inner west, his stance were at times at odds with his seniors, including the Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell. He was popular in the rural diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, which runs from the Murray River to south Queensland, includes 22 parishes and encompasses about half the state of NSW. He was a deacon at St Patrick's Seminary in Manly, on Sydney's northern beaches, before being ordained a priest in 1982.
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