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Leading Catholic Bishop Brian Finnigan Accused of Lying to Royal Commission

By Lucie Morris-Marr
Herald Sun
December 15, 2015

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/leading-catholic-bishop-brian-finnigan-accused-of-lying-to-royal-commission/news-story/e7615cfd0df9736843ea32a0450e2b67

Brisbane auxiliary bishop and former Ballarat vicar-general Brian Finnigan. Picture: AAP

A LEADING Catholic bishop stands accused of lying to the child abuse royal commission about crimes committed by Australia’s worst paedophile.

Brisbane’s auxiliary bishop, Brian Finnigan, the former adviser and secretary to former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns, insisted in the past few days he only learned of Gerald Ridsdale’s horrific crimes against children after 1993, when Ridsdale was charged.

However, examination by the Herald Sun of the evidence, given in a private hearing by Bishop Finnigan in July, shows he admitted he knew of abuse complaints against Ridsdale more than 10 years earlier.

On Monday, counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Angus Stewart, SC, accused Bishop Finnigan of distancing himself from any knowledge of child sexual abuse in his two days on the stand.

The bishop’s answers were “far more restrictive” than those he gave to the commission behind closed doors in July, Mr Stewart said.

In the private hearing by Gail Furness, QC, Bishop Finnigan confirmed he knew of complaints against now jailed child abuser Ridsdale, 84, back in 1981 and 1982.

The evidence in the private hearing also showed Bishop Finnigan confirmed he was in charge of the minutes of the now infamous consultors meeting in 1982, in the presence of bishop Mulkearns and other priests, including Cardinal George Pell.

The meeting discussed the movement of Ridsdale from his posting in Mortlake parish to a Catholic centre in Sydney.

Bishop Finnigan confirmed he noted Ridsdale’s movement in the minutes but left out the reason. Asked if he knew the reason was because Ridsdale had been committing offences against children, Bishop Finnigan replied: “I presume I knew at that stage, because that was after those people came to see me from Mortlake.”

The bishop also conceded in his private evidence that when bishop Mulkearns stated there was a problem with “homosexuality in the diocese” he actually probably meant “paedophilia”.

Contact: lucie.morrismarr@news.com.au

 

 

 

 

 




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