Abuse report pledge

Royal commission findings to go to Pope

The nation’s Catholic leaders have pledged to pass on to the Vatican key recommendations of the child sex abuse royal commission.

THE nation’s Catholic leaders have pledged to pass on to the Vatican key recommendations of the child sex abuse royal commission to end compulsory celibacy and open up the confessional.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Denis Hart said the bishops would take the royal commission’s recommendations “very very seriously” and present them to the Holy See.

They are two of the most explosive of the 409 recommendations made by the royal commission, which exposed the national tragedy of the sexual abuse of children for decades in Australia’s most trusted institutions.

The commission said that while compulsory celibacy was not a direct cause of abuse, it was satisfied that it “contributed” to the crime by leading to sexual dysfunction, childish interests and behaviour.

Melbourne Archbishop Mr Hart said he believed there were benefits to the vow of celibacy but it was a difficult undertaking. However, he said the seal of the confessional could never be broken even if priests face the prospect of criminal charges for failing to report child sexual abuse, as recommended.

“My sacred charge is to respect the seal of the confessional,” he said.

Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher said the 17-volume final report, which found elements of the church’s structure and theology may have contributed to abuse, ushered in a period of “very serious selfexamination”.

The Catholic Church was labelled the worst offender but it was not alone in being slammed by the commission, which said institutions from all walks of life had been guilty of “heinous” failures. It called for strengthened and nationally consistent mandatory reporting laws and a federal minister for child safety.

It also wants abusers stripped of any honours and a national memorial to recognise victims.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the Federal Government would put $52.1 million into the scheme but it could only work if all states and territories join.

The report of the $500 million commission contains 409 recommendations. A number of prosecutions resulting from the evidence are under way.

The commission said its harrowing hearings involving 15,000 survivors over five years had shown that abuse was not just a “few rotten apples”.