AUSTRALIA
Adelaide Now
MELBOURNE’S top Catholic has admitted he made an ill advised comment when he said it was “better late than never” that the church petitioned Rome to defrock an abusing priest after 18 years.
Asked at a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on Monday why it had taken so long to defrock pedophile priest Desmond Gannon, Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart replied it was “better late than never”.
But on Tuesday, Archbishop Hart admitted the comment was ill advised.
“I think it inadequately represents the situation,” he told ABC Radio.
When pressed further, Archbishop Hart replied: “Certainly, on reflection I can say it was an ill advised comment, but my determination at the time had been to try and make quite clear that with the removal from work of Gannon that the opportunity for offending was removed.”
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