Video: Apology from Bishop Malone

By Ian Kirkwood
Newcastle Herald
July 15, 2013

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1639284/video-apology-from-bishop-malone/?cs=12

[with video]

THE former Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone, finished his public stint in the witness box on Monday by reading a prepared statement to the Special Commission of Inquiry.

Bishop Malone repeated the statement outside the Newcastle court buildings.

Although Bishop Malone apologised again for the hurt and damage done by decades of paedophilia in the diocese, five people in the inquiry left the room while he made his apology.

Bishop Malone talked about a need for ‘‘vigilance’’ and ‘‘accountability’’ but he did not touch on aspects of the Catholic Church – such as the insistence on priestly vows of celibacy – that some people believe are major factors in the church’s problem with paedophilia.

 Bishop Malone said he prayed daily for the victims of child sexual abuse and he hoped they gained reconciliation with ‘‘all people, including the Catholic Church’’.

Bishop Malone noted his apology had followed a similarly ‘‘heartfelt’’ apology at the start of this session of the inquiry by his successor, Bishop Bill Wright.

He apologised for some ‘‘flippant’’ remarks earlier in the inquiry when he joked about destroying secret documents.

‘‘My words were insensitive and I apologise,’’ Bishop Malone said.

 ‘‘The evils of child sexual abuse should never have happened, but they did. With better systems in place, may they never happen again.’’

At the close of Monday’s hearing, Commissioner Margaret Cunneen asked Bishop Malone a short series of questions about what personal insights he may have gained into church paedophilia.

Bishop Malone, who moved to Maitland-Newcastle from the Central Coast, said he was unable to say if the Hunter had a worse problem than other areas.

But he did say that early settlement patterns meant that some Hunter towns, such as Maitland, were historically largely Catholic, while others, including Morpeth and Gloucester, were more Anglican in nature.

Ms Cunneen said Bishop Malone had finished giving evidence in public but he would be required in further in-camera sessions.

Public hearings are scheduled to resume at 2pm on Tuesday after a morning session behind closed doors.