DUNEDIN (NEW ZEALAND)
Otago Daily Times
December 19, 2018
By Chris Morris
A Dunedin survivor of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is heading to the Vatican in the hope of meeting the Pope, helped by the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin.
Darryl Smith yesterday told ODT Insight he would fly to Rome in February to spend six days at the Vatican, coinciding with a gathering of the leaders of bishops’ conferences from around the world.
The gathering had been called by Pope Francis to discuss the international sexual abuse crisis engulfing the church, and would run from February 21-24 next year.
Cardinal John Dew, of Wellington, would be New Zealand’s official representative at the gathering, but Mr Smith would also be there, joining other survivors from around the world at the Vatican.
Mr Smith said his trip had been partly funded by Dunedin Bishop the Most Rev Michael Dooley, who had offered ”several thousand” dollars towards his costs.
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