Top Aus cleric apologises for abuse
2012-12-24 16:05
Sydney - Australia's most senior Catholic cleric on Monday
apologised to those who "suffered at the hands" of priests and
religious teachers after a turbulent year for the church.
Sydney Archbishop George Pell said he was shocked and
ashamed, following a series of paedophile allegations against priests and
claims that they were hushed up.
In his Christmas message, Pell said his heart went out to
"all those who cannot find peace at this time, especially those who have
suffered at the hands of fellow Christians, Christian officials, priests,
religious teachers".
"I am deeply sorry this has happened," he added.
"I feel too the shock and shame across the community at
these revelations of wrongdoing and crimes."
Without specifically mentioning child sex abuse, Pell said
the hurt caused was "completely contrary" to Christ's teachings.
"We need our faith in God's goodness and love to cope
with these disasters, to help those who have been hurt," he said.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard last month ended more than a
decade of growing pressure by ordering a royal commission to investigate the
responses of all religious organisations, schools and state care to allegations
of abuse.
Separate fact from fiction
Her announcement came after claims by a senior police
investigator that the church had covered up sexual abuse of children in the
Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, to protect paedophiles and its own reputation.
The government in Victoria state is already investigating
allegations of sex abuse by the clergy with the Church telling a state
parliamentary hearing in September that at least 620 children had been abused
since the 1930s.
When Gillard announced the royal commission, Pell welcomed
it as an opportunity to help victims, "clear the air" and "separate
fact from fiction".
"We are not interested in denying the extent of
misdoing in the Catholic Church," he said at the time.
"We object to it being exaggerated, we object to being
described as the only cab on the rank. I don't think we should be scapegoated."
Child sex abuse allegations and claims they were covered up
have rattled the Catholic Church across the world, particularly in Ireland but
also in the United States, Germany and Belgium.
