Cardinal Pell Admits Australian Church Has Failed to Comprehend Scale of Paedophilia Problem

Vatican Insider
May 27, 2013

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/australia-cardinale-pell-25169/

Cardinal Pell

Speaking at an inquiry by Victoria’s parliament into child sex abuse in the state, the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, said he was “absolutely sorry” for the abuse committed by clerics against minors. Australia’s highest-ranking Catholic prelate said he did not believe there was a “culture of abuse” within the Church.

The inquiry is looking into the abuse of children by religious and non-government bodies. The Church has produces a report stating that at least 620 minors in the Australian state of Victoria suffered abuse from members of the clergy over the past 80 years. Pell, who was Archbishop of Melbourne from 1996 to 2001, reminded the inquiry that the Catholic Church in Australia recognised paedophilia as a serious issue as early as 1988. It was also aware that the Church needed to be treated just like any other institution in terms of compensation for victims.

According to Pell, a number of factors have contributed to the problem of abuse in the Australian Catholic Church. One of these is the superficial way in which priests are chosen, as they are often inadequately prepared for celibacy. Another is the number of minors the Church has under its care. “Also … the entry procedures, the criteria, the searching, the investigation of candidates back say in the middle of last century was much too loose,” he said. He went on to say that the Church has been the victim of "intermittent hostility from the press" but recognised this has helped uncover some of the Church's failings.

Today was the final day of the public hearings for the Victorian parliament inquiry. This inquiry is separate from the one being carried out in the neighbouring state of New South Wales which is currently examining a series of complaints against the Catholic Church, for hampering police investigations into the behaviour of a number of priests. A different national inquiry is also being carried out by the federal government, into the activities of churches, charities, local governments, schools, community organisations like boy scouts and sports clubs and even in the police force itself.