Lay People to Head Abuse Council

Sky News
December 12, 2012

http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=825769

Two lay people will lead a council established by the Catholic Church to co-ordinate its engagement with the royal commission on child sex abuse.

Former NSW Supreme Court chief judge Barry O'Keefe and former secretary-general of the Australian Medical Association Francis Sullivan were announced as the chair and chief executive, respectively, of the 10-person council on Wednesday.

Mr Sullivan said their brief was twofold; the first duty being to nationally co-ordinate the church's 'embrace' of the royal commission, and the second being to provide feedback to the church.

This would include providing recommendations about processes and culture of the church, and 'to make sure the culture is transparent in these matters and is life-giving', Mr Sullivan said.

However, he could not say how transparency would be achieved and asked to take the question on notice.

The council has been named the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, a title Mr O'Keefe said will inform the group's mandate.

Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart said the council would not stand in the way of the royal commission speaking with any member of the church or church community who was called before it.

'Whoever the commission wishes to bring before it, those people will co-operate,' Archbishop Hart said on Wednesday.

On the question of the provision of church documents, he said the church would co-operate 'fully, completely and readily'.

The council will comprise bishops, church members and lay people.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge and Maitland Bishop William Wright have already been appointed to the council.

Archbishop Hart said the membership of the council was being broadly considered.

Mr Sullivan and Mr O'Keefe echoed the church's position - reiterated by Archbishop Hart on Wednesday - that the seal of the confessional is inviolable.

They emphasised the need to focus on listening to victims.

'It will take an open heart and hopefully a compassionate disposition,' Mr Sullivan said.

Archbishop Hart said the only way forward for the church was to face the truth of the events.