Posts Tagged ‘Royal Commission New Zealand Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’

Royal Commission deserves neither blind faith nor sanctified mistrust

Thursday, April 11th, 2019
Catholic

Could a practising Catholic do a good, honest job of chairing the Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care and Faith-based Institutions? Yes. To disqualify chairman Sir Anand Satyanand simply on the basis of his own faith, rather than any deeds, would be to indulge intolerance. The church has far too often been a place Read more

Royal Commission: Satyanand’s resignation offer declined

Monday, April 8th, 2019
resignation offer

Sir Anand Satyanand offered to withdraw as head of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and Care in Faith-Based Institutions. Some have expressed concern about a perceived conflict of interest because of his Catholic faith. Documents obtained by Stuff show Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin rejected his offer. Instead, she asked Satyanand Read more

Australia’s plenary council completes first phase

Thursday, March 28th, 2019

Australia’s Catholic Church has completed the first phase of plans for the Plenary Council scheduled for 2020-2021. Plenary Councils are rare, with only two held during the past 130 years or so – one in the Philippines and the other in Poland. Lay-people’s opinions have been sought regarding the topics to be debated at the Read more

Scope of Royal Commission clarified

Thursday, March 7th, 2019
royal commission

Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions has confirmed that its investigation will include those abused by any person in a pastoral role in a faith-based institution. The clarification came in a “plain English” version of the terms of reference for the royal commission posted Read more

Changes to scope of Royal Commission require further clarification

Thursday, November 15th, 2018
royal commission

A lack of clarity surrounding key terms of the Historical Abuse in State Care Royal Commission is raising serous concerns around the Commission’s scope. The terms causing concern are “faith-based institutions” and “in care”. The confusion emerged after the Government announced the Royal Commission will look into both state and faith-based institutions. On Tuesday commission Read more

Catholic Church leaders welcome inclusion in Royal Commission

Monday, November 12th, 2018
royal commission

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops and Catholic religious orders have welcomed the inclusion of faith-based institutions in the New Zealand Government’s expanded inquiry into the historical abuse of children. On Monday the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced the scope of the inquiry will include faith-based institutions. It will be called the Royal Commission into Historical Read more

New body to facilitate Church’s response to Royal commission

Monday, November 5th, 2018
royal commission

Catherine Fyfe will chair a group of people who will ensure that the Catholic Church provides a co-ordinated and co-operative response to the Historical Abuse in State Care Royal Commission. Fyfe is a layperson with extensive experience in human resource management and organisational development. The New Zealand Catholic bishops and the heads of all religious Read more

Royal Commission into state care abuse stalled, says lawyer

Thursday, October 25th, 2018
royal commission

A lawyer working for New Zealand victims of abuse in state care says Australia’s apology to their victims of child sexual abuse should embarrass New Zealand into getting on with its own Royal Commision. Sonja Cooper, who represents some of those abused while in state care in New Zealand, said she’s disappointed about the slow Read more

Bishops set the record straight on Royal Commission

Thursday, October 18th, 2018
royal commission

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops are seeking to set the record straight in response to recent reporting that the Church is backing away from actively seeking inclusion in the Government’s Inquiry. The Bishops and representation from Catholic Religious orders wrote to Prime Minister Ardern, Minister Martin and Sir Anand Satyanand in March this year. That Read more

Priest critical of church’s response to abuse

Monday, October 15th, 2018
abuse

Fr Vaughan Leslie says the church’s response, within New Zealand and overseas, had helped fuel the “abuse crisis” now engulfing the church. Leslie is the parish priest of Alexandra, a town in Central Otago, New Zealand. The Church had failed to remove men from ministry when credible complaints were received, and “misguided protectionism” had occurred Read more