Whistle Blowing Priest
7 News
April 23, 2013
http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/lifestyle/article/-/16852269/priest-blows-the-whistle-on-abuse/
[with video]
It's the Royal Commission thousands of child sex abuse victims have wanted for decades - a chance to finally expose the truth through investigating institutions like the Catholic Church.
But one man fears criminal clergy will carry on undetected, claiming the Victorian Archdiocese is determined to keep its sordid secrets buried.
Victor Buhagiar has recently quit his post as a Catholic priest, walking away from the faith after 12 years leading parishes across Victoria.
Buhagiar claims it has became impossible to continue after he found out the Church was deleting records relating to child sexual abuse.
"I saw the Archbishop and I heard the Archbishop telling the secretary to turn off the recorder," Buhagiar said.
Alarm bells first began to ring for Buhagiar at a council meeting of the state's most powerful priests last April.
"As soon as the recording was turned off, the Archbishop started talking about the sex abuse situation," Buhagiar said.
According to Buhagiar, the Archbishop Denis Hart went on to discuss two priests who he'd suspended but there was no mention of their names or any details to reveal their identities.
"After that meeting I made enquiries as to why the recorder was turned off at that particular moment. Again, whoever I asked said to me, I do not remember, when I pushed, they said so that no names are mentioned," Buhagiar said.
"I suspect the recorder was turned off to minimise the possibility of investigators finding evidence that can be useful to the inquiry, or to the Royal Commission; to create like a black hole, an empty space that when the investigators try to see how the situation evolved during the last 10 years or so, they seem to find nothing."
Veteran journalist and anti-child abuse advocate, Derryn Hinch says "if in fact they have been turning off tape recorders while they're discussing sex abuse then that should come out."
"They know the records that the Royal Commission will want and it's in their interest, their self-preservation to get rid of it. The only thing that's going to help is if priests like the one who's come forward now, they keep coming forward," Hinch added.
Buhagiar's concerns about the Church's 'no names' policy deepened when he called the Victorian Archdiocese to report a man in his parish who'd volunteered but failed the working with children check.
He wanted an alert sent to other parishes, to warn them of the potentially dangerous man in their midst but Buhagiar's request was flatly refused.
"The secretary told me we cannot do that because we have a policy of no names. If I don't put the name of the person, how are the other priests going to know who I'm talking about?" Buhagiar said.
This internal policy completely contradicts the Church's public push for mandatory reporting and transparency which is plastered all over its website 'Facing the Truth' - so too its stance to the Royal Commission.
'David' was just 13 when convicted paedophile priest Terry Pidoto took him to a seminary and sexually abused him.
"Despite the public statements they're not for the victims they are only out for their reputation," said David.
Sadly these latest claims come as no surprise.
"I was raped as a young boy and then I was re-offended when I came forward; I had a psychiatrist diagnose that I in fact had been institutional abuse by the way they treated me and I am not alone," David said.
The election of a new Pope just last month delivered the Catholic Church its best press in years and renewed hope for restored faith. But these latest claims, together with the scrutiny of the Royal Commission, suggest any afterglow will be short lived.
Despite our repeated requests for an interview to openly discuss these matters, the Church has declined.
Instead it sent a written statement conceding the council may elect to discuss matters that are not minuted or in other words, no records kept:
"At times the Council discusses matters which are in a preparatory phase or otherwise confidential. On such occasions, the council may elect to discuss matters that are not minuted."
Little clarification was given regards Buhagiar's allegations of a 'no names' policy. The Church simply stated: "The Archdiocese complies with privacy principles but it is wrong to describe that as a 'no names policy'".
It is hoped the truth will be revealed in time. The Royal Commission estimates there are 5000 people waiting for their chance to give evidence against the Catholic Church and other institutions.
According to Hetty Johnston, founder and director of child protection group Bravehearts, they have been flooded with more than 5000 calls since November - a spike of 350 per cent.
"This is the tip of the iceberg," said Johnston.
"The Prime Minister has put up a big placard that said after generations of silence it's time to break the silence, you have permission to speak, not only do you have permission to speak we really, really want you to."
"If it's 5000 victims, I'll be shocked because I think they'll find it'll be more like 15 to 20 thousand nationwide. We're talking decades," Hinch said.
Buhagiar is among those in line to tell the Commission what he saw from the inside.
"As a priest I am part of the hierarchy but then I'm a very, very, very little fish in the whole scheme of things, and by staying in I have my hands tied. The only way I could do this was by actually walking out," Buhagiar concluded.
Response to Today Tonight by Archbishop Denis Hart
Fr Buhagiar’s resignation
Fr Victor Buhagiar resigned as parish priest of the parish of Good Shepherd Gladstone Park in a letter I received on 21 December 2012.
I accepted Fr Buhagiar’s resignation, effective 1 January 2013, with regret and expressed genuine concern for his welfare.
I thanked him for his service and said ‘my door is always open to you’.
Having submitted his resignation, Fr Buhagiar left the parish without informing his parishioners of his resignation.
On the weekend of 5/6 January, the Vicar General Monsignor Greg Bennet celebrated all Masses in the Parish of Good Shepherd and used this opportunity to advise parishioners at Masses and in writing of the resignation of Fr Buhagiar.
A copy of the letter is attached.
Fr Buhagiar has this week claimed that he was forced to resign against his will, he resigned in protest ‘over the way truth is being handled’ and also that he ‘resigned quietly’ as a circuit breaker. I reject these claims.
The Council of Priests
I have a number of groups which advise me, including the Council of Priests. Fr Buhagiar was Deputy Representative of the North Western Zone of the Archdiocese on the Council.
The Council of Priests is chaired by a priest elected by the Council. It provides advice on how best to implement pastoral programs in the Archdiocese (for example, the Year of Faith), along with matters relating to the administration of parishes and other important issues for the Church. Council meetings are not a forum for discussing matters that relate to individual priests.
It is common practice for the Council to be briefed and advise on the development of diocesan policies and submissions. For example, members of the Council have been briefed on the response to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry and the recently launched Royal Commission.
At times, the Council discusses matters which are in a preparatory phase or are otherwise confidential. On such occasions, the Council may elect to discuss matters that are not minuted. This allows an open discussion in advance of a formal decision or final position being reached.
The Council of Priests meeting to which your question referred took place on 17 April 2012 (and not in May as suggested). On that day, the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry was announced and at that time an open but confidential discussion occurred, which assisted me in formulating my first response to the announcement of the Inquiry issued that day.
Working With Children checks
The Catholic Church of Victoria’s response to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry is detailed in our submission, Facing the Truth. As outlined in Facing the Truth on page 99, the Archdiocese requires all clergy and religious, employees and volunteers who have contact with children to hold Working With Children checks as required by law.
If the Victorian Department of Justice refuses a Working With Children check, the individual in question is not allowed to conduct any activity in a parish that would involve contact with children.
One of Fr Buhagiar’s aspiring volunteers was refused a Working With Children check by the Department of Justice and that person was not permitted to volunteer. Under the legislative framework and diocesan protocols, a parish priest is responsible for ensuring that all those required to hold a Working With Children check do so.
The Archdiocese complies with privacy principles but it is wrong to describe that as a ‘no names policy’.
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