AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian September 09, 2013
TWO of the most senior clerics in the Catholic church have given conflicting evidence to a NSW state government inquiry into the alleged cover-up of child abuse committed by priests.
The general secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Brian Lucas, has previously given evidence saying he and John Usher, the current chancellor of the Archdiocese of Sydney, met around 35 alleged pedophile priests during the early 1990s.
Most of these men were convinced to resign in a “secret and discreet” process that meant potential scandal could be contained, and without the police being informed of the allegations against them, Father Lucas said.
Giving evidence today to the NSW special commission of inquiry, Father Usher said “some of the recollections (Father Lucas) described differ from my own recollections” of what took place.
The two men met only one alleged pedophile priest together, Father Usher told the inquiry, and he did not know what Father Lucas meant by saying they shared a “broad methodology” for dealing with alleged pedophile priests.
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