Former Bishop William Morris tells child sex abuse inquiry...

By Michael Madigan
Courier-Mail
February 25, 2014

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/former-bishop-william-morris-tells-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-the-catholic-church-had-a-culture-of-denial/story-fnihsrf2-1226836446780

Bishop William Morris talks to reporters outside the Brisbane sitting of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Picture: Annette Dew Source: News Limited

FORMER Toowoomba bishop William Morris has declared the Catholic Church was plagued by a culture of believing child sex abuse victims were “just making it up”.

Bishop Morris has also told the royal commission into sexual abuse he was personally sacked by Pope Benedict in 2011.

The bishop was the first person to apologise over the sexual abuse of 13 schoolgirls at the hands of former teacher Gerard Vincent Byrnes, meeting with the victims and opening the way for them to be paid compensation.

The commission heard after Byrnes was arrested, Bishop Morris sacked a principal and two education officers, who knew about the allegations but did not tell police.

Yesterday he called for the Church to set up a national body to oversee its handling of sex abuse complaints.

At the hearing in Brisbane, counsel assisting Gail Furness asked the bishop if there was a culture of not believing sex abuse victims in the Catholic Church.

“Yes, and I think it may be, say, sometimes we’ve got to check out the story because you never know, they might be just making it up and we don’t want to make a report on someone that’s going to ruin the rest of their lives,’’ he said.

“I think that could possibly be part of it.’’

Ms Furness then asked him what he thought of the officials’ dithering over allegations that Byrnes had touched girls inside their pants and shirts.

“It’s stunning, I know. I can’t get my head around it. Like I said to someone – well, we spoke about it recently. It’s not rocket science. Touching is not rocket science,’’ the bishop replied.

“Like the other day we saw a question put to witnesses concerning, say hands in the pants and the question came back saying, you know, ‘Was it on the bottom of the pants?’ and I’m thinking, ‘Are we going down that track again?’ Like ‘Why don’t they get it?’’’

The bishop was removed from his diocese by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 over what was said to be doctrinal and disciplinary matters. He was made a bishop emeritus.

He fell out with the Vatican and Pope after canvassing more progressive views including raising the prospect of the Church considering the ordination of married men and women to help counter a shortfall in priests.

Outside court, lawyers involved in the civil sexual abuse cases against the Church said Bishop Morris was one of the few Church figures who took a compassionate approach to victims and their families.

Bishop Morris not only apologised to families but continued to monitor their progress in dealing with the trauma of the abuse after the civil cases were settled, one lawyer said.

The bishop told the hearing he was shocked when he first heard of the arrest of Byrnes, who is serving 10 years in jail.

He admitted teachers and education executives in his diocese had failed to protect students.

He said outside court the continued employment by Catholic Education of former school principal Terence Hayes, who admitted dismissing serious sex abuse allegations against Byrnes as “gossip”, should be reviewed.

POPE PUSHED FOR RESIGNATION

POPE Benedict personally asked the former Toowoomba bishop to resign, telling him he was “too practical”, “charismatic” and “gifted” to remain in the role.

In a rare insight into the workings of the Catholic Church, former Toowoomba bishop William Morris has detailed how the Pope had hiring and firing power from the Vatican.

The royal commission into sex abuse heard allegations bishop Morris was hounded out of office in 2011 by the Vatican, after an apostolic visitor from Rome came to investigate him.

The commission heard there had been much “speculation” about bishop Morris’s forced retirement from the Diocese where 13 schoolgirls were sexually abused by former teacher Gerard Vincent Byrnes.

At the hearing in Brisbane yesterday, the Catholic Church tried to silence the former bishop as he attempted to reveal details of his battle to keep his job.

But Counsel Assisting, Gail Furness, SC, said there had been speculation on the circumstances of the bishop’s “early retirement’’.

“And much of that speculation has been that it was because of his response to the claims of sexual assault at the school and also the sackings (of three employees),’’ Ms Furness said.

Jane Needham, SC, for the Church, tried to stop bishop Morris’s detailed comments.

“This is fascinating, but I have to query the relevance, ’’ Ms Needham said.

Bishop Morris told the commission that b y 2009 he was conversing one on one with Pope Benedict in an attempt to keep his job.

“I was told I was too practical, charismatic, gifted, and my role was not as a Diocesian Bishop, but I could have a role some other place in the Church,’’ he said.