Catholic Bishops Launch Appeal to Church for Action on Child Abuse

By Janet Fife-Yeomans
Herald Sun
June 4, 2013

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/catholic-bishops-launch-appeal-to-church-for-action-on-child-abuse/story-fnii5s3y-1226657010386

Canberra's former Bishop Pat Power has joined the chorus calling for change from the top.

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, a retired Roman Catholic clergyman who has written a book about sexual abuse and abuse of power in the Church, at his Enfield residence base in Sydney.

A GROUP of rebel Catholic bishops have today launched a petition to tell the people at the top - the Pope and the Vatican - to act to stop the abuse of children within the church.

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, emeritus auxillary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney, said the national royal commission into institutionalised child sex abuse could bring healing and change laws but it could not force the church hierarchy to make fundamental changes.

"Millions of good Catholics have been deeply disillusioned, both by the revelations of widespread abuse and even more by what they have perceived as the defensive, uncaring and unchristian response on the part of many who have authority in the church and claim to speak in God's name," Bishop Robinson said today.

"Catholic people all over the world are sick of the scandal and this is a chance for them to speak up and join a collective voice that will be heard in Rome."

The bishop, who resigned from the church in 2004 partly because of its lack of recognition that it had a massive sexual abuse problem, launched the petition today with the support of Bishop Pat Power, the retired bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, and Bishop Bill Morris.

Bishop Morris was sacked from his position in Toowoomba by the Holy See two years ago after he called for the ordination of women and the end of celibacy for priests.

Bishop Robinson said he had sent the details and a copy of his new book "For Christ's sake end sexual abuse in the Catholic Church... for Good" to the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Pell, two weeks ago but had not heard anything in reply.

"I'm not expecting him to ring me tomorrow and say he's in favour," he said.

The online petition calls for an Ecumenical Council to examine the structure on the church including getting more women involved, obligatory celibacy, the idea that the priest is more important than the congregation and the "ways in which the protection of papal authority has been put before the eradication of sexual abuse".

Former premier and prominent Catholic Kristina Keneally, backed the petition.