Australian abuse commission begins 'Catholic wrap-up,' lists total stats

Friday, Feb. 10, 2017

SYDNEY (CNS) — Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse kicked off a three-week “Catholic wrap-up,” expected to discuss the Church’s theology and doctrine, structure and governance, including the role of the Vatican and canon law, and issues like celibacy and confession.

At the opening session Feb. 6, Gail Furness, senior counsel assisting the Royal Commission (RC), reported on summary data which showed that between January 1980 and February 2015, 4,444 people made allegations of child sexual abuse that related to more than 1,000 institutions. The statistics did not differentiate between allegations and proven cases.

The Catholic Weekly, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Sydney, reported that of the 1,880 alleged perpetrators identified, 592 were religious brothers, 572 were priests, 543 were laypeople and 96 were religious sisters. Considered as an overall percentage of those serving between 1950 and 2010, 7.9 percent of diocesan priests and 5.7 percent of religious priests have had allegations made against them, making a total of 7 percent of priests overall, the newspaper reported.

Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher, who is expected to appear  before the commission at some stage of the proceedings, called revelations from the first day of hearings “harrowing” and said he “personally felt shaken and humiliated by this information.”

“The Church is sorry and I am sorry for past failures that left so many so damaged,” the archbishop said. “I know that many of our priests, religious and lay faithful feel the same: As Catholics, we hang our heads in shame.”

The archbishop noted the RC would focus on two main issues: “what factors caused or contributed to historical child sex abuse cases in the Church and failures to respond adequately; and what the Church has done or plans to do to address this by way of changes to structures, policies and culture, the discernment of priestly and religious vocations, formation and supervision of those engaged in ministry, and so on.”

“The archbishop published phone numbers for counselors and for the Church’s safeguarding office and encouraged those bothered by what they heard to talk to their parish priest, or for priests to talk to their superiors. Although most of the charges mentioned in the study were in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, Archbishop Fisher encouraged anyone alleging sexual abuse to contact police. 

“I am convinced that at the end of the humiliation and purgation through which we are presently passing, we will be a humbler, more aware and more compassionate church in this area,” he said. “But we are on a journey and there is still much to do: for this we are grateful for the patient study and professional guidance of the RC.”

Furness reported getting documents requested from the Vatican concerning John Gerard Nestor, a former priest accused of abuse, but said the commission did not receive documents related to a more general response for all cases of abuse in Australia. The commission has criticized how long it took Church officials to remove Nestor after allegations of abuse against him.

In response to the government’s establishment of the RC in 2013, the Australian bishops’ conference and Catholic Religious Australia established the Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

Francis Sullivan, CEO of the council, told the RC hearing he was grateful for and admired those victims to came forward to tell their stories. 

Sullivan reminded commission members of changes the Church in Australia has implemented in response to commission findings.