Former Catholic bishop Ronald Mulkearns leaves most of $2.1m estate to church

By Shannon Deery
Herald Sun
September 5, 2016

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/former-catholic-bishop-ronald-mulkearns-leaves-most-of-21m-estate-to-church/news-story/edd7241e326e2e4ba61cc5cf72b60dcd

Former Bishop and retired priest Ronald Mulkearns and a map showing his Fairhaven property. Photo by Jake Nowakowski

Mulkearns’ Fairhaven property valued at $2.1 million. Photo by Mitch Bear

Ronald Mulkearns’ Aireys Inlet house (orange timber weatherboard). Photo by Jake Nowakowski

Ronald Mulkearns leaving Geelong Court. Photo by Mike Dugdale

Ronald Mulkearns at his home in Aireys Inlet. Photo by Ian Currie

Former bishop Ronald Mulkearns, who died in April, left nearly all his estate, which includes a Fairhaven property valued at $2.1 million and about $40,000 cash, to the Ballarat diocese he once ran.

Mulkearns said the money was to be used by current bishop Paul Bird “for the benefit of the Catholic diocese of Ballarat at his absolute discretion”.

The Herald Sun contacted the church for comment Monday afternoon. By late Monday night, the church had not replied.

From 1971 to 1997, while Mulkearns was bishop of Ballarat, hundreds of local children were molested by a nest of paedophile clerics. Victims of clerical abuse have now called for his money to be used for compensation and for support programs for those who suffered at paedophile priests’ hands.

Ballarat abuse survivor Andrew Collins said: “Mulkearns moved around clergy who he knew had sexually abused children. By doing so he effectively facilitated the rape of children in the church.

“His assets should be distributed to victims whose lives have been destroyed and damaged by his actions,” Mr Collins said.

Fellow Ballarat abuse survivor Stephen Woods called on the church to put the money in a dedicated fund for victims: “That should be the only course of action.

“It is both an opportunity to help victims and save some small amount of face for the diocese.”

In February, Mulkearns told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse he had failed as a bishop.

He admitted shuffling offending priests around parishes despite knowing of their crimes.

“I’m terribly sorry that I didn’t do things differently,” he said.

“I didn’t really know what to do or how to do it.”

Last year, Bishop Bird told the royal commission the diocese had dealt with more than 130 claims for compensation so far. Despite paying some just $5000, he doubted the diocese would have sufficient funds to meet future claims.

Of the claims so far, more than 70 were linked to priest Gerald Ridsdale, Australia’s most incorrigible paedophile.

He has admitted abusing at least 54 children, but has said the total is in the hundreds.

In his 2012 will, Mulkearns ordered that almost his entire estate, including his pictures, paintings and furniture, go to the church. Books, and anything not wanted by the Ballarat diocese, was left to his only brother Geoffrey.

His ecclesiastical vestments were left to Father Adrian McInerney, now parish priest at St Alipius, where many of Ballarat’s notorious paedophiles were once stationed.

Mulkearns directed that his Fairhaven property, believed to have been left to him by his father, be sold, and his nephews have first option to buy it.