Parents' anger at Sydney Archbishop's note...

By John Carney
Daily Mail
May 27, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3098762/Parents-anger-Sydney-Archbishop-s-note-sent-home-Catholic-schoolchildren-horrific-abuse-uncovered-royal-commission-says-criticism-unfair.html

‘Speaking the Truth in Love’ was written by the Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher

Archbishop Fisher said the Royal Commission inquiry had left everyone 'disillusioned, contaminated and shamed'

On Wednesday Gerald Ridsdale gave evidence at the commission into the reporting of child sex abuse at Ballarat

The Sydney Archbishop's letter said that Cardinal Pell 'was the first church leader in Australia to introduce a more contemporary process to confront this evil'

Archbishop Fisher had hoped that the letter would build bridges after a lot of bad publicity about the Catholic Church in the recent Royal Commission inquiry in Ballarat

Archbishop Fisher defended Cardinal Pell who he said 'repeatedly apologised when mistakes were made'

Parents' anger at Sydney Archbishop's note sent home with Catholic schoolchildren about horrific abuse being uncovered at royal commission that says some criticism is 'unfair'

A letter that's been taken home by Catholic school kids in Sydney in an attempt to put parents' minds at ease as the on-going Royal Commission into sex child abuse inquiry continues this week has not got the positive response the church hoped for.       

Called ‘Speaking the Truth in Love’ it is written by the Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher and is also published on the Archdiocese of Sydney website. The letter refers to the disturbing evidence emerging from the inquiry in Ballarat in recent weeks.

While making it clear that like everyone else he feels 'disillusioned, contaminated and shamed' by what has come out of the commission, his claims that the church has been treated unfairly has left parents angry and feeling as if the Archbishop is backing the church’s former responses to allegations of sexual abuse.

'Many things are being said about the church at the moment some of them fair, some of them not so fair. It is alleged, for instance, that we engaged in self-protective legal evasions,' the Archbishop wrote.

Debrief Daily website reports the letter has stirred up anger among some Catholics in Sydney with one parent calling it ‘Satanic Verses’, others have described it as 'a real kick in the teeth to victims', while others saw it as a sign that the Catholic Church is still in denial.

And the backlash could get even worse.

On Wednesday Australia's worst paedophile priest started giving evidence at the commission into the reporting of child sex abuse - but any hope that he would shed light on an alleged cover-up by the Catholic Church was dashed when he said he had 'no memory' of conversations with senior clergy.

Gerald Francis Ridsdale, now 81, has been convicted of molesting 54 boys - but has admitted that the number is probably above 100.

However, his evidence on who also knew about his actions and helped him within the Catholic Church were vague at best. He maintained he could not remember having any dealings with now-Cardinal George Pell, despite living in the Ballarat East presbytery with him.

With this in mind one paragraph in Archbishop Fisher's letter now stands out more than any other.  

'Many things are being said about the church at the moment some of them fair, some of them not so fair. It is alleged, for instance, that we engaged in self-protective legal evasions,' he wrote.

'In fact, my predecessor Cardinal Pell, was the first church leader in Australia to introduce a more contemporary process to confront this evil and he repeatedly apologised when mistakes were made.'

Unfortunately Risdale's evasive evidence did nothing to support this reasoning and more bad publicity could be ahead.