BishopAccountability.org

Melb Archbishop Says Remark Ill Advised

Adelaide Now
May 21, 2013

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/melb-archbishop-says-remark-ill-advised/story-e6frea7l-1226647884734

MELBOURNE'S top Catholic has admitted he made an ill advised comment when he said it was "better late than never" that the church petitioned Rome to defrock an abusing priest after 18 years.

Asked at a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on Monday why it had taken so long to defrock pedophile priest Desmond Gannon, Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart replied it was "better late than never".

But on Tuesday, Archbishop Hart admitted the comment was ill advised.

"I think it inadequately represents the situation," he told ABC Radio.

When pressed further, Archbishop Hart replied: "Certainly, on reflection I can say it was an ill advised comment, but my determination at the time had been to try and make quite clear that with the removal from work of Gannon that the opportunity for offending was removed."

He said Gannon had not practised as a priest since 1993.

The archbishop appeared to backtrack slightly in the interview from his admission on Monday that there was a cover-up.

Archbishop Hart was asked by the interviewer that, given he had admitted there was a cover-up, was the church "only too slow in realising the church wouldn't get away with it?".

Archbishop Hart replied: "I don't think that was the motivation. I think if there was any cover-up at all that is cleary wrong, because our concern has to be for the terrible suffering of the victims."

But he said that when he said in the inquiry that the moving of pedophile priests was wrong, he meant the practice was "evil".




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