A WARRNAMBOOL Catholic priest says the Royal Commission has revealed how the church failed to protect children and that the church must change.
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With the release of the final report from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Father John Fitzgerald welcomed the findings and said “as an institution our mistakes have been revealed.”
“The recommendations have made us acutely aware that the welfare of the child must be at the centre of our concerns,” he said.
“The chair (Justice Peter McClellan) described it as a national tragedy and it is.
“This cannot happen again.”
The commission has recommended the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference request that the Holy See consider introducing voluntary celibacy for clergy.
Fr Fitzgerald said he was not aware of a connection between celibacy and pedophilia because pedophilia occurred across all levels of society.
“I think the point the Royal Commission is trying to make is that things have to change in the church and I support that 100 per cent,” he said.
The commission found the largest number of alleged perpetrators and abused children in Church-managed facilities that it was are aware of were in Roman Catholic institutions.
“Alleged perpetrators were often allowed to have access to children, even when religious leaders knew they posed a danger,” the report noted.
“Alleged perpetrators were often transferred to another location where they had access to children but were never reported to police.”
Fr Fitzgerald said the extent of the revelations of criminal behaviour had been hugely distressing for parishioners.
He said the recommendations had brought to fore how atrocious the criminal behaviour had been.
“It also highlighted that the church didn’t respond appropriately,” he said. “It has affected us deeply.
“The good thing is it has been revealed. The healthy thing is it will no longer be swept under the carpet.”
Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird welcomed the final report and said the survivors had shown great courage in helping the church identify what should be done to make institutions safer.
“With deep sadness we recognise that people in positions of trust in our Catholic diocese of Ballarat contributed to this national tragedy, both by the abuse of children and by the failure to protect children from abuse,” he said.
“The challenge before us now is to be part of a national commitment to care for children in our time.”