AUSTRALIA
Sky News
The Catholic Church in Rome pulled the strings and told Australian parishes how to handle child sex abuse complaints, a former priest says.
Frank Little, who was archbishop of Melbourne from 1974 and 1996, would try everything to avoid scandal and was particularly loyal to Rome, former priest Philip O’Donnell has told the child abuse royal commission.
‘I personally think he had a misplaced loyalty to Rome when faced with the dilemma of how to handle this particular problem, and he made the wrong decision,’ Mr O’Donnell told the inquiry on Tuesday.
‘I don’t think there’s much doubt that Rome pulled the strings and instructed various parishes around Australia, around the world, how to handle the matter,’ Mr O’Donnell said.
He said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made it clear it was their responsibility to handle abuse complaints, not the local bishop’s.
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