Bishop at Odds with Tony Abbott

By Charis Chang
Manly Daily
November 15, 2012

http://origin.manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/bishop-at-odds-with-tony-abbott/

Mr and Mrs Abbott attending a church service in Manly in 1999.

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott says the sanctity of the confessional should not exempt priests from reporting child abuse but his local bishop does not agree.

Mr Abbott, a devout Catholic who once studied to be a priest, said on Wednesday that everyone should be obliged to obey the law and report knowledge of child abuse. This applied to priests as well.

``If they become aware of sexual offences against children, those legal requirements must be adhered to,'' he told reporters in Brisbane.

``The law is no respecter of persons, everyone has to obey the law, regardless of what job they are doing, what position they hold.''

Asked if that applied to priests, Mr Abbott replied: ``Indeed.''

But the head of the Diocese of Broken Bay Bishop David Walker said he did not agree.

``I think the confessional should be sacred and I don't think it would achieve anything if this was changed,'' Bishop Walker said.

However, the bishop did support the royal commission announced this week into institutional responses to allegations of child sex abuse in Australia.

The commission is likely to consider the Catholic Church's seal of the confessional, which Prime Minister Julia Gillard has also said she does not support.

Bishop Walker has been a priest for 50 years and head of the diocese for 16 years. In his experience only a small proportion of the clergy were involved in abuse.

``There has been so much wild talk, there needs to be an official look at it,'' Bishop Walker said.

``What was important was to look at how all institutions cared for children and perhaps the focus would then move on to families as well,'' he said.

THE ROYAL COMMISSION

* Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the royal commission on Monday. It will look at institutional responses into allegations of child sex abuse in Australia

* Terms of reference will be decided in the coming weeks

* Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has voiced supportcom for the commission as long as it does not focus solely on the Catholic Church