Bishop's Advisor Wanted Paedophile Priest to "Stop Offending': Inquiry

By Dan Cox
ABC News
July 19, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-19/bishop27s-advisor-wanted-paedophile-priest-to-27stop-offendin/4831928

The priest who was second in charge of the Catholic Church in the New South Wales Hunter Valley says he told a clergy abuse victim to go to police because he wanted to stop a paedophile priest from re-offending.

The New South Wales special commission is investigating claims the church covered-up abuse by priests Denis McAlinden and James Fletcher.

Former Maitland-Newcastle vicar general monsignor Allan Hart has told the inquiry he met with a victim of McAlinden in 1993 and took her complaints to the then bishop, Leo Clarke.

Monsignor Hart said he asked the victim to tell police because he wanted to get McAlinden "off the street and stop him re-offending".

He said it was not his role to get authorities involved because the bishop had an advisory committee, which included father Brian Lucas.

Counsel assisting the commission this afternoon tendered a document showing the 'Maitland Clergy Central Fund' paid for a one-way ticket to Papua New Guinea for McAlinden in 1976.

Counsel assisting asked monsignor Hart if he was "surprised" and if the purchase was "out of the ordinary", and he replied, "my word".

Earlier today the commissioner Margaret Cunneen excused father William Burston from giving evidence until next Friday because he had been "harassed" outside the inquiry.

She described it as "rude and regrettable".

In giving evidence this morning, father Burston said that while there was extreme frustration regarding father Denis McAlinden's evasiveness and failure to engage in the laicisation process the moves were not futile.

Under questioning by the church's barrister Lachlan Gyles, father Burston agreed that if McAlinden's laicisation was successful it would have lead to the required outcome.

Mr Gyles told the public hearings McAlinden was in the United Kingdom celebrating his "golden jubilee of being a priest" despite having his faculties withdrawn.

Father Burston agreed that was a matter of concern.

He also said going to the police with abuse complaints about a priest was "a matter for the bishop".