Senior Catholic Church Leader Does Not Recall Dealing with Paedophile Priest Case, Inquiry Hears

7 News
September 10, 2013

http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/18856218/senior-catholic-church-leader-does-not-recall-dealing-with-paedophile-priest-case-inquiry-hears/

The special inquiry into child sexual abuse in the Newcastle Hunter region has wrapped up its public hearings with testimony from two senior Catholic Church leaders.

The chancellor of the archdiocese of Sydney, Monsignor John Usher, appeared for the first time, and Father Brian Lucas was recalled to provide further evidence to the commission.

Monsignor Usher told the commission he never met the notorious paedophile priest Denis McAlinden, who died in 2002, nor did he have any records of the case.

This was at odds with evidence given by Father Lucas.

During the Newcastle inquiry in July, Father Lucas said he met with a victim of McAlinden and Monsignor Usher was at that meeting.

But during evidence today, Monsignor Usher said he did not recall that meeting and he did not have any records of such a meeting.

Monsignor Usher spoke at length about his note-keeping habits - that he had diary entries and journals, and recorded meetings with victims and alleged paedophile priests.

He maintained he had only one conversation with Father Lucas about McAlinden, who abused children for at least four decades, and that conversation was last year.

Today's hearing also revealed some insights into how the senior hierarchy of the Catholic Church perceived the problem of paedophilia.

Both Monsignor Usher and Father Lucas were at the helm of a so-called special issues resource group, which was an informal committee set up in the late 1980s.

The group had the strategy of educating themselves about the problem of sexual abuse, they helped victims by referring them to counselling and they spoke to priests who were accused.

They also came up with advice and recommendations for bishops about whether priests should be stood down.

The group was the genesis of the official protocols that ended up being introduced in the late 1990s.

Monsignor Usher told the commission that back in the 1990s, the church was on a steep learning curve when it came to child sexual abuse by priests.

"The Catholic Church, like many other institutions, believed it was possible for them to go into therapy to be cured," Monsignor Usher said.

"Our church is strong on forgiveness. 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again' - there was a tendency to believe them."

But he maintained that he referred some cases to New South Wales Police himself, and others were referred to the Department of Community Services.

Monsignor Usher also revealed he personally referred one priest and one brother to police, and when there was insufficient evidence or some lingering doubts about the conduct of other priests, the church took the path of so-called risk minimisation, and those priests were sent to nursing homes.

The inquiry's findings are expected to be delivered in February next year.