AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Australian Associated Press
Friday 29 May 2015
Potential misuse of the Catholic confessional has been exposed after at least one priest has admitted using the private disclosure to seek absolution for abusing children.
The revelation meant the system lacked honesty and substance if a priest could be absolved in such a way, the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse was told on Friday.
“It’s not yet public, but we have heard from at least one priest who confessed to his confessor, and in that way reconciled his offending behaviour, which continued with his belief in God,” justice Peter McClellan told the commission in Ballarat on Friday.
“That throws up a rather startling illustration of how the confessional might be misused, doesn’t it?”
Ballarat bishop Paul Bird agreed that would be a terrible misuse of confession.
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