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  Abuse Victim: Pope Apology Pointless

By Vincent Morello
Herald Sun

July 08, 2008

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23988891-5005961,00.html

A MAN who was sexually assaulted by a Catholic priest says any apology from the Pope to Australian abuse victims will be pointless.

Anthony Jones wants Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell to resign over his actions during a church investigation into his assault.

Mr Jones, a former Catholic educator, was sexually abused by Father Terrence Goodall in 1982 and informed the church about it 20 years later.

The 54-year-old has since suffered two mental breakdowns and has been on a disability pension since 2000.

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Sydney on Sunday for World Youth Day with an expectation he will make an apology on behalf of clergy who have sexually abused Australians.

Mr Jones said the timing of his controversy invalidated such a sentiment.

"What's the point of an apology when the senior ranking titled cleric in the Catholic church of Australia is still covering up sex abuse," Mr Jones said.

"I believe Cardinal Pell should resign. And I think people should call for his resignation."

Dr Pell today said he was mistaken when he wrote to Mr Jones in 2003, saying no one else contacted the church with sexual abuse claims against Father Goodall.

But the head of the Catholic Church in Australia wrote to another man that year, stating a church investigation confirmed he was sexually assaulted as a boy by Father Goodall.

Dr Pell today said the letter to Mr Jones "was badly worded and a mistake" and was meant to convey there was "no other allegation of rape".

Mr Jones made the letter public yesterday.

He dismissed the archbishop's response today, saying he never stated to the church or police that he was raped.

"I did not say that he (Goodall) had penetrated me," Mr Jones told AAP.

"I was worried he was going to, but he certainly sexually assaulted me.

"Cardinal Pell is being deceitful. He's not being truthful."

As recently as last month, Mr Jones agreed to terminate a civil case in the NSW Supreme Court against the church, saying the laws only allow him to sue Father Goodall or Cardinal Pell, which would have been fruitless.

"I agreed to walk away from it, they wouldn't sue me for their fees and I wouldn't continue to sue them," Mr Jones said.

"I just realised I was wasting my time."

 
 

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