We Don't Want Your Prayers, Victims Tell Church

By Barney Zwartz
The Age
July 9, 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/national/we-dont-want-your-prayers-victims-tell-church-20120709-21r9l.html

Abuse victims have derided prayers for them offered at a Mass in Sydney's Catholic cathedral yesterday as hypocritical and an empty gesture designed to keep donations coming.

"This is the ultimate hypocrisy," said Nicky Davis, a victim and spokeswoman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, about the prayers offered by Sydney Bishop Julian Porteous at St Mary's Cathedral.

"Victims do not see this as a genuine attempt to help us, nor that its intended audience is victims at all. We are being used to make those Catholics still attending Mass feel like something is being done to help victims so that they don't stop funding the church in protest," Ms Davis said.

At the Mass, Bishop Porteous said the sexual abuse of children was a "most heinous crime" because of the damage it did to victims and their families, and was worse if the abuser represented the Church and was in a unique position of trust.

Ms Davis said: "Senior Catholic figures are still lying to the media and anyone who'll believe them about their widespread and systematic cover-up of serious criminal offences against defenceless children."

Ms Davis said senior Catholics were still abandoning known victims of known predators to suffer in silence without assistance, and were still hiding evidence, obstructing police investigations and exploiting legal loopholes.

"Most victims would far prefer church leaders stop praying and start delivering the truth, justice and compassion they are so good at talking about," she said.

A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Sydney said Bishop Porteous had been sincere in offering the Mass for victims and asking for forgiveness.

"If Bishop Julian had not made any comment there would have been further criticism," she said.

Those who heard his homily "would have immediately recognised it was a sincere, compassionate and heartfelt message from a man who cares deeply about people especially those and their families who have been victims of abuse by a priest", she said.