AUSTRALIA
7 News
By Philippa McDonald, ABC
Updated November 28, 2012
A key figure in the Catholic Church has told the ABC it is set to make significant changes to the way it handles its response to the issue of sexual abuse.
Sister Annette Cunliffe, the president of Catholic Religious Australia, the body representing 180 orders, says the church hierarchy has been defensive and perhaps too close to the problem of abuse in the church.
The church is the subject of unprecedented scrutiny after the announcement of a royal commission into institutional abuse.
She described recent public statements by the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, as disappointing and says a new way in dealing with abuse claims is needed to move forward.
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.