“Bishop Umbers emphatically denies the allegation.”
A prominent Australian bishop has agreed to step aside from ministry, amid an investigation into a historical claim of abuse, which he has strongly denied.
The Archdiocese of Sydney said July 1 that it had received notice of a civil claim of historical abuse, with auxiliary Bishop Richard Umber identified as the claim’s subject.
“Bishop Umbers emphatically denies the allegation,” the archdiocese said, adding it had notified the authorities about the complaint.
The archdiocese noted that the New South Wales Police Force, which is responsible for law enforcement in Sydney, had confirmed there was no active investigation into the allegation.
“In conformity with the archdiocesan protocol for managing safeguarding complaints and relevant legislation, Bishop Umbers has agreed to stand aside from public ministry while this allegation is investigated,” the archdiocese said.
Umbers, a member of Opus Dei who was appointed as a Sydney auxiliary bishop…
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