AUSTRALIA
ABC News

The Catholic Church is being urged to show its “moral compass” as an inquiry resumes in Melbourne into alleged child sexual abuse by priests.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will hear from victims and representatives of the church, including Cardinal George Pell, who is scheduled to give evidence via video link from the Vatican on Thursday.

The church has moved to change its long-standing policy on the way it handles sexual abuse cases, but compensation and redress for victims remains an issue.

The Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) is pushing for a national independent redress scheme.

In the short term, chief executive officer Leonie Sheedy wants churches and charities to start contributing to a fund, primarily to pay the funeral expenses of victims.