AUSTRALIA
The New Daily
June 14, 2018
By Lucie Morris-Marr
A paedophile priest who admitted to child abuse on more than 1500 occasions but was just told to “pray more” should be a “prime example” for the Catholic Church to allow breaking the seal of confession, advocates have told The New Daily.
Father Michael McArdle made an affidavit in 2004 stating he had confessed 1500 times to molesting children to 30 different priests over a 25-year period.
After being forgiven 1500 times in face-to-face confessions with his fellow priests, the Queenslander was told merely to “go home and pray”.
A senior catholic figure, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, this week immediately rejected Malcolm Turnbull’s commitment to make it law across all states to break the seal of the confession to report abuse. His remarks have prompted campaigners to urge the church to “examine history” and abide to the change.
They say the example of McArdle shows the “vital need” for priests to be told by senior leaders they should report crimes to authorities.
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