AUSTRALIA
ABC News
[with video]
By Philippa McDonald
Catholic Church leaders throughout Australia are warning church-goers and school parents about the release of data on Monday at the child sex abuse royal commission, describing it as an “horrific portrait of appalling abuse”.
Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge was so concerned about the impact of the statistics relating to the extent of reported abuse within the Catholic Church, he emailed a video message to tens of thousands of Catholic school parents.
“The royal commission is about to hold its final hearing into the Catholic Church which will be a very challenging time,” he said in the video.
“My sincere hope is that all the blood, sweat and tears will produce justice and healing and ensure that the future is much safer for the young than the past has been.”
Archbishop Coleridge’s video message will be played in more than 200 churches in the Brisbane diocese throughout the weekend.
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