When will this be done in the good old USA....
January, 6, 2016
Catholic Church's "ticking time bombs" set to detonate
National
The Catholic Church knew it had pedophile "time bombs" in its midst.
Photo: Mal Fairclough, AAP
It not only let them keep ticking away but also covered up the pedophiles’ evil deeds to protect its reputation.
The extent of the cover-up is still being
dissected by the child abuse royal commission but victims advocacy group Broken
Rites spokesman Dr Wayne Chamley expects its report will be absolutely scathing
of the Catholic Church.
Bishop Peter Connors leaves the Royal
Commission into Abuse hearings in Melbourne in November. Connors chaired a 1992
meeting that likened abuse allegations to "ticking time bombs".
Photo: Mal Fairclough, AAPIt not only let them keep ticking
away but also covered up the pedophiles’ evil deeds to protect its reputation.
The extent of the cover-up is still being
dissected by the child abuse royal commission but victims advocacy group Broken
Rites spokesman Dr. Wayne Chamley expects its report will be absolutely scathing
of the Catholic Church.
“The commission is unpicking a conspiracy,”
Dr. Chamley said.
“These bishops collectively have been
running this conspiracy certainly since 1992.”
Minutes of a special issues committee
meeting at the 1992 Australian Catholic Bishops Conference reveal: “It was
agreed that there are serious ‘time bombs’ ticking away in a number of diocese
at the present time.”
The focus was on treating the accused
offender fairly, even though the minutes reveal the special issues committee –
set up to deal with allegations against priests – agreed “the prognosis for
offenders to be returned to any form of active ministry as a priest is not
good”.
The group was also worried about the
discovery of documents. “It does seem better to keep good records. On the other
hand, it was noted that too many people are keeping too many records.”
It is the first piece of evidence showing
bishops collectively knew about abuse by clergy from that date, Dr. Chamley
notes.
“Everybody knew about it and they decided
they were going to try and battle it out and just keep it under wraps so you
have all those cover-ups and moving people around,” he said.
“What confounds me was not one of them was
prepared to break ranks.”
As the royal commission investigates
widespread abuse by Catholic clergy over decades in the Ballarat diocese
covering the western third of Victoria and Melbourne archdiocese, senior church
figures have admitted failings.
There has been a terrible abuse of the
trust people gave implicitly to priests
“I certainly have been absolutely horrified
by the predatory actions, the depravity and the power play by these pedophile
priests over people who should have expected just the opposite: care and love
and support,” current Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart said.
“Instead they have been totally betrayed.”
Archbishop Hart has admitted the church
failed to recognise it had pedophiles in its midst.
Not only that, it knew of their existence
and failed to act, leading to more children being abused.
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