Church 'Centuries out of Date'

By Stuart Rintoul
The Australian
January 24, 2013

www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/church-centuries-out-of-date/story-fngburq5-1226560422847

A GROUP of Catholics pressing for reform within the church has told an abuse inquiry the church is a "private and conflicted organisation" with a 17th century system of governance.

The group, Catholics for Renewal, said the church was "self-protective" on the issue of pedophile priests and must be made to report abuse allegations to police.

In its submission to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations, the group, chaired by senior Catholic Peter Johnstone, quoted the late cardinal Carlo Maria Martini saying that the church was centuries "out of date".

It said the church's governance was "feudal in origin", autocratically ruled by socially isolated and increasingly aged bishops.