AUSTRALIA
NEWS.com.au
Cardinal George Pell refuses to name priests who admit in the confessional that they are paedophiles
CARDINAL George Pell has refused to name and shame priests who admit in the confessional that they are paedophiles.
Cardinal Pell yesterday welcomed the royal commission into sexual abuse and said he would front the commission if called on – but openly advised priests to avoid hearing confessions of sexual abuse from fellow priests to help preserve the sanctity of the confessional.
He also claimed there had been a “smearing” of the Catholic Church.
The Government released details of the royal commission, which it said would begin work early next year, amid concerns from MPs that the scope of the inquiry, which could last 10 years, was possibly too broad to get a significant result for abused children.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.