AUSTRALIA
The Standard
Andrew Thomson
2 Apr 2017
THE Catholic Bishop of Ballarat has refuted calls to remove plaques which include the name of disgraced bishop Ronald Mulkearns.
Bishop Paul Bird made the comment prior to a visit to Warrnambool on Sunday.
He said it was important to accurately record historical events where the community had gathered to celebrate with Bishop Mulkearns.
The bishop said other events, including Bishop Mulkearns’ failings, had been recorded elsewhere. Bishop Bird said he thought it was going too far. Bishop Mulkearns, who died last year, was the bishop of the Ballarat Diocese while pedophile members of the clergy abused children.
He was aware of pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale’s offending in 1975 but chose to move him to parishes within the diocese, allowing the notorious offender to keep committing crimes.
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