Church to Name Abuse Inquiry Council Head

9 News
December 11, 2012

news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2012/12/11/19/01/church-to-name-council-head

The Catholic church will on Wednesday name the head of its specially convened council to work with the federal government's royal commission into child sexual abuse.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia announced last month they would establish a 10-member council of lay people and members of the clergy.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge and Maitland Bishop William Wright have already been appointed and are considered among the likely contenders to head the council.

The other members are due to be announced this month.

Conference president Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart and Sister Annette Cunliffe, chair of Catholic Religious Australia, will announce the council's chair and chief executive on Wednesday.

In announcing the council, Archbishop Hart said the church had 30 bishops in their dioceses and 129 different religious orders, so a unified council was considered best to liaise with the royal commission.

But he added it was still important for the royal commission to be able to approach individual church officials and members.