By the early 2000s most victims approaching Tasmania's Anglican church complaining of sexual abuse by priests were seeking financial assistance, a royal commission has been told.

Bishop John Douglas Harrower was the leader of the diocese of Tasmania for 15 years from July 2000 and one of his first moves in the job was to make a public apology for child-sex offences linked to the church.

"I was made aware of what had happened and I thought it was horrendous and I felt it was important to make an apology," Bishop Harrower said in evidence to the commission on Tuesday.

Subsequently the bishop received 10 complaints from 10 men about their childhood abuse by former priest Garth Hawkins.

While police were investigating the matters, Bishop Harrower said the church could take no disciplinary action against suspects but moved to offer support to the victims by funding counselling and other support.

"It became increasingly obvious that a number of the requests coming in were looking for some financial assistance," he said.

"The Bishop of Tasmania doesn't have a purse so financially I had to gain the support of the Synod of the Anglican Church to finance the scheme."

Bishop Harrower drove the financial appeal to the church hierarchy and said he wasn't sure what the outcome would be.

"There were great tensions in all of this between pastoral care and legal processes," he said.

By 2003 it was decided that assistance would be capped at $60,000, less any counselling costs already paid by the church.

The funds were made available on the condition that they made no admission of legal liability.

Hawkins, who has changed his name to Robin Goodfellow, has served jail time for offences against seven boys.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is hearing information about offences by Hawkins, along with lay and clergy men Louis Daniels, Robert Brandenburg, Simon Jacobs and John Elliot.

Each has been convicted of offences, except for Brandenburg, who was charged but died before facing court.

The inquiry is focused on whether the Church of England Boys' Society facilitated the abuse.

Bishop Harrower finished his role in Tasmania in 2015 and is now assistant to the primate of the Anglican Church in Australia, based in Victoria.

He said it was important for the church to recognise past wrongdoing and listen to victims.

"The shepherd needs to be available for the injured sheep."