Church Lodges Submission to Vic Abuse Inquiry

Cathnews
September 20, 2012

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=33256


The Catholic Church in Victoria will today lodge the Church's submission, titled Facing the Truth, to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations, the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, announced in a media release.

"We will co-operate fully with the Inquiry, and in Facing the Truth, we have been open about the horrific abuse that has occurred in Victoria and elsewhere," Archbishop Hart said.

"Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has caused deep concern among Catholics and the wider community. It is shameful and shocking that this abuse, with its dramatic impact on those who were abused and their families, was committed by Catholic priests, religious and church workers.

"In our submission we discuss the Church's commitment to caring for children, the failures of the Church, and the developments in society's and the Church's understanding of the pernicious nature of paedophilia. It includes a detailed chronology from 1961 to today of such developments in the English-speaking world.

"The submission shows how the Church of today is committed to facing up to the truth and to not disguising, diminishing or avoiding the actions of those who have betrayed a sacred trust.

"We acknowledge the suffering and trauma endured by children who have been in the Church's care, and the effect on their families. We renew our apology to them.

"In the submission we provide details of the structure and governance of the Church, and of the many layers of authority and responsibility in dioceses, parishes, and religious orders and institutes.

"We also document the way the Church has learned from past failures and changed the way it deals with victims and offenders."