The Chicago Tribune
12:59 a.m. CST, November 13, 2012
James Grubel
Reuters
CANBERRA (Reuters) – The head of Australia’s powerful Catholic Church acknowledged the “shame” of child sex abuse among the clergy and welcomed a sweeping inquiry on Tuesday, but also warned that the extent of the problem within his church had been exaggerated.
On Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard ordered a rare Royal Commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, into how churches, government bodies and other organizations have dealt with possibly thousands of child sex abuse claims.
George Pell, Australia’s only cardinal, said the Church would cooperate fully with the new inquiry, which can compel witnesses to give evidence and produce documents, and that he did not believe the Catholic church was the main perpetrator.
“We are not interested in denying the extent of misdoing in the Catholic church. We object to it being exaggerated, we object to it being described as ‘the only cab on the rank’,” said Pell, who is also Archbishop of Sydney.
“We acknowledge, with shame, the extent of the problem and I want to assure you that we have been serious in attempting to eradicate it and deal with it,” he told reporters in Sydney.
Gillard called the inquiry in the face of mounting political pressure after explosive reports that orders within the Catholic Church had covered up abuse claims and hindered police inquires over several decades in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia’s two most populous states.
Pell denied the Catholic Church actively covered up any child abuse and said comprehensive procedures introduced in 1992 ensured full cooperation with police and swift action against alleged abusers.
“We will cooperate fully. We have nothing we want to hide,” Pell said.
Pell also said priests should refuse to hear confessions from suspected child abusers to ensure priests were not then bound by the confidentiality of the confessional.
“If the priest knows beforehand about such a situation, the priest should refuse to hear the confession, that would be my advice. I would never hear the confession of a priest who was suspected of such a thing,” he said.
Late on Monday, a former police officer who investigated child abuse for decades, told Australian television the Royal Commission should examine aspects of the Catholic Church such as confession.
Former police officer Peter Fox sparked a nationwide outcry last week when he alleged the Catholic church had covered up abuse by priests in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney. His allegations ultimately led to the new inquiry being called.
Gillard has yet to announce who will preside over it, or its terms of reference. She hopes to finalize the details by the end of this year but has refused to set a time limit on the Royal Commission, which could run for several years.
The Catholic Church is Australia’s largest, with 5.4 million followers, representing about one in four Australians.
(Editing by Paul Tait)
We shall see.
“I wold never hear the confession of a priest who was suspected of such a thing.”
Who, if not the shepherd, will give these predators sound spiritual guidance, encourage them to turn themselves in, pray for and apologize to their victims, withhold absolution until they, the predator, show true contrition, and advise that they have shown themselves unfit to be priest?
What kind of shepherd is concerned first for his own safety and well-being? Is this the example Christ set? This bothers me deeply.
* This is troubling…“If the priest knows beforehand about such a situation, the priest
should refuse to hear the confession, that would be my advice…The priest or any other member of our society should report what is known to child protection and police officials..forthwith !..beforehand indeed…
I agree completely with Sylvia and Michel. Cardinal Pell has just put himself in God’s shoes. He is willing to condemn a human being to Hell (refusing to hear a confession) to save a priest from having to testify!!!!
This IS most troubling, and very indicative of how the church continues to protect it’s back at the expense and torture of it’s victims of deviant and sick sexually criminal acts.
I wish the Prime Minister well in his remarkable endeavour to uncover the truth, but he and his government is dealing with an organization that has an incredibly powerful and intricate web of defence, rooted in cover-up and deceit somewhat akin to the old Sicilian Mob. The church will also, when necessary, hide behind canon law to preserve their wealth and “power over the masses”, as seen in this cardinal’s suggestion that priests should refuse confession.
It causes me to wonder if the cardinal would himself personally refuse confession to one of his priests. I wonder………………………………………………….? Mike.
*Well said, Mike Fitzgerald. Isn’t that the truth!
Rome wasn’t built in a day. It won’t fall in a day. But fall it will – if the financial supports are removed along with the other leg of submission by the sheep who do not question or demand answers or accountability as is done in any other arena of society where there is criminal activity under the disguise of religion/sports/secret organizations, etc. Canon Law immunity must be removed.