Catholic Church Official Admits "Secret" Process for Priests during Nsw Abuse Inquiry

ABC News
July 25, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-26/church-official-admits-secret-process-for-priests/4844850


One of Australia's most senior Catholic Church officials admits it was church protocol to deal with paedophile priests "secretly and discreetly".

A New South Wales inquiry is investigating claims the church covered up abuse by two Maitland-Newcastle priests, Father James Fletcher and Father Denis McAlinden.

The inquiry has heard it Father Brian Lucas's job in the 1990s was to "encourage" paedophile priests to resign in a bid to restrict their access to children.

Maria Gerace is representing some of McAlinden's victims at the inquiry.

Late yesterday she put to Father Lucas that church protocol in 1993 "was a secret process that dealt with the allegations discreetly".

She said it enabled the "scandal to be contained in the offices of the church".

Father Lucas replied: "To some extent, yes".

"It defies common sense to have the process public," he said.

Ms Gerace said giving the priests the opportunity to resign and avoid police prosecution "was a great inducement".

Father Lucas said "in hindsight [the process] might have been erroneous", adding: "It might have been better to go to police."

He told the inquiry while the church is not perfect in handling abuse allegations, it has improved.

The commission has also heard AJ, a victim of McAlinden, wanted the paedophile priest taken off the streets, removed from any access to children and supervised in a safe house.

Father Lucas said he had never heard of a safe house in that context.

The inquiry was told AJ was an ardent believer in the church and went to senior clergy for advice regarding her abuse.

The inquiry continues.