Church Heads Warn on Abuse Inquiry

By Barney Zwartz
The Age
August 20, 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/church-heads-warn-on-abuse-inquiry-20120820-24inu.html

STATE Catholic leaders have warned parishioners that they will hear disturbing reports about the church's past failure to respond to child sexual abuse by clergy during the parliamentary inquiry into the handling of abuse complaints.

In a pastoral letter to be sent to every Catholic church in Victoria this weekend, the leaders say the church needs to learn from these failures, and again apologise to victims of abuse and their families.

The letter is signed by the four Victorian diocesan bishops - Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart, Ballarat Bishop Peter Connors, Sale Bishop Christopher Prowse and Sandhurst Bishop Leslie Tomlinson - plus Sister Annette Cunliffe and Sister Helen Toohey, presidents of the national and state religious orders. ''The suffering and trauma endured by some children who have been in the Church's care … is a matter of continuing shame and dismay to all Catholics,'' the letter says.

''Let us be very clear. The sexual abuse of a child was, is and always will be a crime, and is contrary to all we believe in.''

The leaders say that the inquiry will be ''a challenging and difficult period'' for victims and the Church. ''You may hear disturbing reports of cases in our past when the Church processes to prevent and respond to abuse failed the children in our care. We need to learn from these failures.''

The letter promises that the Church will co-operate fully with the inquiry. However, last week the Church told The Age it would not give blanket approval to victims who had signed a confidentiality agreement. The government countered that submissions were covered by parliamentary privilege.

Submissions to the inquiry close on August 31, and public hearings are expected to begin soon after that.