[Photo above: Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers]
One of the most senior members of the Catholic Church, Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers, has stood down over allegations of abuse, which had been reported to police.
The church’s powerful Sydney Archdiocese said Umbers — second in charge only to Archbishop Anthony Fischer — had “agreed to stand aside” while investigations were underway.
Umbers emphatically denies the allegations.
“The Archdiocese of Sydney has received notice of a civil claim of historical abuse,” it said in a statement.
“Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers has been identified as the subject of the claim.
“Bishop Umbers emphatically denies the allegation,” it states.
Umbers is a senior member of the internal Catholic group Opus Dei, and has previously been reported as the first Opus Dei member to be appointed a Bishop of the Australian Catholic Church.
Searches show Umbers, 54, is “Bishop in Residence” at St Paul…
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