AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times
Christopher Knaus
Canberra’s Catholic archbishop did not attend a healing ceremony for Marist child sexual abuse survivors because it was “Marist-specific”, and because he wanted to wait for the royal commission to conclude so the archdiocese could hold its own event.
Marist College Canberra apologised to former students who were abused by its staff on Thursday night, conducting a ceremony and unveiling a plaque that will stand as a permanent reminder of the school’s abuse crisis.
On Friday, it emerged that Archbishop for the Canberra-Goulburn region, Archdiocese Christopher Prowse, had been invited to the healing ceremony, but had not attended.
A spokeswoman said on Friday that the archbishop had wanted to wait for the royal commission to conclude.
She said the event was more “Marist-specific”, and that the Catholic church would hold its own healing ceremony at the conclusion of the commission.
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