The Catholic Church: an Organisation Damned

By Neil Mitchell
3AW
October 11, 2012

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/neil-mitchell-blog/the-catholic-church-an-organisation-damned/20121011-27ebk.html


Today the Catholic Church is in disgrace.

Not for what it did years ago, but for what it is doing now. Today, and as recently as three years ago.

Today it is alleged by Victoria Police that the Church is presiding over a culture of secrecy and institutional dishonesty that is frustrating and side stepping the law, and aggravating the pain of victims abused by priests.

The Church itself is worsening the abuse, and there is more to come.

Many, many more cases and many more victims are yet to come forward. And they are recent – not 80-year-old men and women – recent abuse.

Not yet reported, a surge of cases are expected from the 1990s and 2000s, cases that will be reported of people abused by the Catholic Clergy.

And you what know, the Catholic Church is worse than any other religious organisation. It has failed in an obscene and spectacular fashion.

We are on the verge here of something extremely significant, because in my view the Victoria Police have now drawn a very definite line in the sand. They have decided enough is enough. They have decided formally, at the highest level, to take on the Catholic Church.

Chief Commissioner Ken Lay is driving it, and he knows what trouble is ahead. But if ever there was a man committed to fairness, decency and the rights of victims, it is him. What he is doing here may well define our new Chief Commissioner.

As of today, Victoria should be very proud of what the Police are doing, because they are standing up to an organisation that is not used to being challenged.

Today is just the beginning, but I believe and hope this will be a turning point for victims, for decency and for the vast majority of priests and Catholics who are appalled by what has happened. And what is happening.

Today, I really hope is the beginning of the end of the cover up and the protection of pedophiles.

Today, I hope, is a huge step towards making everybody equal before the law; to make everybody accountable – even priests and the Catholic Church. The day that happens will be a great day for Victoria and victims.

This morning I read through the Police submission to the state inquiry into the investigation of child abuse and handling of it by religious authorities.

I’ll give you some key points direct from the Police and Chief Commissioner Ken Lay.

Most victims of religious abuse are from the Catholic Church – only small numbers elsewhere. There is no sign the abuse has dropped off.

The police expect a surge of cases of abuse in the 1990s and 2000s will surface in the years ahead, and they’re being frustrated by the Church in their attempts to track and prosecute pedophiles.

The Church machinery, ‘Melbourne Response’, has not referred one case to Police.

Under the Church system, the church gets legal representation – the victim does not.

The Church is paying victims to avoid criminal action against Priests. The Church is promotion a culture of secrecy around the victims and accused.

Police have been lied to and misled by Church administration. The Church has tipped off accused priests and that may have led to evidence being destroyed.

That is perverting justice, and it has happened as recently as three years ago.

The Church has moved accused priests around the system and more children have been abused as a result.

Action should be taken against those in the hierarchy of the Church who have hidden evidence, and one of the most damning claims from Victoria Police:

”Victoria Police has highlighted a number of deliberate actions by the Catholic Church which arguably have been taken to impede or conceal investigations.”

The Police want to make that a criminal act. So, the Church has covered up abuse, intimidated victims, protected priests and has worsened their abuse.

Now in the religious world, they tell me you should not judge people. To Hell with that. I will not judge an individual here, but I will judge an organisation.

It is an organisation with many decent people, but on this evidence, it is an organisation damned.

If you are a Catholic, will you please, please stand up against this. Most priests and most Catholics are enormously decent people.

Please stand against this culture of secrecy and self-protection which has hurt children.

A religious organisation has put itself ahead of the children, and the children have suffered because of it.