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
Slow progress in establishing the ground rules for New Zealand’s biggest ever inquiry is causing further pain for state care abuse survivors. New information also shows a formal proposal on the inquiry is yet to reach Cabinet – which must approve the final inquiry scope before anyone can be heard. Continue reading
Two academics have called for the inclusion of the Catholic church in the Historical Abuse in State Care Royal Commission. But Professor David Tombs, the head of the University of Otago’s Theology and Public Issues Centre also says there is no need for the church to wait for the royal commission, and it should start Read more
Australia’s redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse at Commonwealth institutions has the Australian Catholic Church’s support. The Church has committed to taking part in the new nationwide scheme. “We support the Royal Commission’s [into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse] recommendation for a national redress scheme, administered by the Commonwealth, and we are keen Read more
My father, Mutyala Satyanand, came from Fiji as a school student in the 1920s. For about 40 years, the Fiji government had a scheme, whereby they sent two Indian boys and two Fijian boys to secondary school in New Zealand. Schools like Palmerston North Boys’ High and Napier Boys’ High. My dad went to Wanganui Read more
A new group will monitor the Church’s response to child sexual abuse in Australia. The Australian Catholic bishops and religious congregations established the new advisory group. Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne says the new Implementation Advisory Group will monitor and progress the response to the findings of the Royal Commission on Child Sex Abuse. It Read more
The head of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into historical abuse in state care has suggested churches could launch their own internal investigation. In an interview with Mike Wesley-Smith on The Nation, Sir Anand Satyanand said he discussed the matter with the country’s senior Anglican and Catholic bishops meeting together recently in Wellington. “I raised Read more
The draft terms of reference for a Royal Commision have restricted an inquiry into historical abuse to state institutions, but the Catholic and Anglican churches have both said they would like to be included in it. On 26 March the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said she stood by her belief that the inquiry should look Read more
The Anglican and Catholic churches want the Royal Commission into abuse to include their churches. The Royal Commission’s draft terms confine the inquiry to state institutions. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops and representation from religious orders have written a letter to the prime minister Jacinda Ardern, the Minister for Children Tracey Martin and Sir Anand Read more
The Fairfax media (The Age) published a big story on the Australian Church’s wealth, highlighting the property assets. Fair’s fair. Just as the Church is being held to account for its behaviour, Fairfax media also needs to be held to account for the standard of their reporting. So in this light, should we be surprised Read more