Church Apology after Damning Abuse Report Released

By Martin Cuddihy and Stephanie Smail
ABC News
January 17, 2013

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/article/15856632/report-criticises-churchs-handling-of-abuse-allegations/

The Catholic Church has unequivocally apologised for failing to protect its parishioners from the accused paedophile priest known as Father F.

by former Federal Court judge Antony Whitlam has been scathing of the way the church has dealt with the former priest.

Justice Whitlam levels much of his criticism about the handling of the case at the then-bishop of Armidale, Henry Joseph Kennedy, who has since died.

He describes Bishop Kennedy's failure to properly investigate as "utterly inexplicable".

The current Bishop of Armidale has released a pastoral letter accepting his predecessor failed his parish.

In the report, Justice Whitlam describes repeated failures by the Catholic Church and says he cannot understand why Father F, who was accused of paedophilia, was allowed to move from one parish to another.

Father F worked in a number of New South Wales parishes in the 1980s and 1990s.

He started his career in Moree, where it is alleged he abused a number of altar boys.

Last year, the ABC's Four Corners program revealed Father F made clear admissions during a meeting with three senior priests, but the matter was never referred to police.

Justice Whitlam's 60-page report on the case shows that a number of Father F's counterparts knew about him sexually abusing children.

But when the concerns were referred upwards in the church hierarchy, nothing was done.

Despite broad criticism of the church's handling of the Father F case, Justice Whitlam does not think the three priests named last year were involved in a cover-up.

He says the "admissions" referred to had already been aired in court and it would have been futile to attempt to cover them up.

The current Bishop of Armidale, Michael Kennedy, who is no relation to his predecessor, has apologised for the way the diocese dealt with Father F and admits Bishop Henry Kennedy fell well short of what was expected.

"I am shocked, horrified, and profoundly disappointed in the events and decisions that impacted so significantly on the lives of innocent people," he said.

"This is a cause of deep shame for the church. I offer victims and their families my deepest heartfelt and unequivocal apology.

"One of my predecessors failed, in this instance, in his duty of governance to the diocese and more importantly in his duty of the pastoral care of its people."

Two victims of Father F went on to kill themselves - both young men who were 28 years old.

Bishop Michael Kennedy's letter is one of the strongest statements yet by the church since the announcement of a royal commission into institutional abuse.

"I also acknowledge that some victims and their families have been poorly treated by representatives of the church," Bishop Kennedy said.

"This has tested their faith, and turned their lives upside down, sometimes even destroying them.

"All abuse is wrong. I particularly abhor the abuse of children as a grave crime crying out to God for justice.

"I assure you of my resolve to help victims receive justice, healing, peace and of my resolve to ensure that this terrible scourge be forever removed from our midst."

Peter Jurd, whose brother Damien took his own life after being abused by Father F, says he he hopes the church will take note of the report and make sure the failures stop happening.

"I think it definitely shows a period where those failings existed. I hope and pray that the church has addressed those issues," he said.

"It would be terrible to think that they're still happening today."