Australian bishops have been meeting top Vatican officials, including the Vatican secretary of state and the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, to discuss the situation of the Catholic Church in Australia. The Australian delegation – which included Denis Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne, Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane and Justice Neville Owen Read more
Same-sex marriage is alright. That’s the message put out by two of Australia’s elite Jesuit schools, St Ignatius’ College, Riverview and Xavier College. Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart is declining to comment on remarks made by the schools last week that seemed to support gay marriage. The Australian Bishops Commission for Catholic Education is also Read more
Leaders of the Australian Catholic Church have been accused of trivialising sex abuse as a “short-term embarrassment. The accusation comes in the Victorian state government’s report on child sex abuse. Launching the report in the Victoria State Parliament, inquiry chairwoman, Georgie Crozier spoke of “a betrayal beyond comprehension” and of children suffering “unimaginable harm”. The Read more
The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, says the Archdiocese has welcomed the announcement of a Parliamentary enquiry into how religious organisations handle allegations of sexual abuse of children and will co-operate fully with the enquiry. On Tuesday Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu announced a year-long parliamentary enquiry into the handing of criminal abuse of children. Read more
A lawyer representing 45 victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy is calling for a Royal Commission following a police report linking dozens of suicides to sexual abuse by clergy. Most cases concern sexual abuse by Catholic brother, Robert Best and former priest Gerald Ridsdale. “An inquiry would horrify the community”, Vivian Walker told the Read more