ENGLAND
The Telegraph
December 13, 2018
By Jack Hardy
The country’s most senior Catholic cleric apologised for withholding evidence of abuse allegations made against JRR Tolkien’s son during his priesthood.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols told an inquiry on Thursday he was focused on settling legal action against the church quickly when, in 2002, he chose not to disclose a key document to a complainant.
The note showed that accusations against Father John Tolkien had been made to the church in 1968 – the only evidence of a contemporaneous complaint made about his behaviour.
But despite lawyers telling Cardinal Nichols – then Archbishop of Birmingham – that the findings supported already credible claims by Birmingham man Christopher Carrie, a briefing paper recorded him saying: “The Archdiocese would prefer not to disclose this document even if it means settling the action.”
On Thursday, the clergyman expressed remorse about his actions as he appeared before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which is investigating child protection failings within the Catholic church.
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