AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian August 29, 2013
CONFIDENTIAL files held by the Archdiocese of Sydney detail dozens of meetings in which two of the country’s most senior serving Catholic clerics convinced pedophile priests to quietly resign, an inquiry has heard.
The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry will reopen its public hearings next month to hear evidence from Brian Lucas, the general secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and John Usher, the chancellor of the archdiocese.
Father Lucas has previously told the inquiry the two men met about 35 alleged pedophile priests, convincing them to resign in a “secret and discreet” process.
In accordance with the alleged victims’ wishes, Father Lucas said, the two senior clerics did not report any of these priests to police, despite 10 of the men privately admitting they had committed child abuse.
At least one of these priests is before the courts, charged with child abuse. The resignation of another priest failed to prevent that priest continuing to work for the church, and having access to children, the inquiry heard.
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