Of this, there is no doubt.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse cast a much-needed light on the failures of many institutions across Australia, including government and church institutions, and most prominently my own church.

It grieves me daily to know that young, and now adult lives, have been devastated and destroyed through multiple failures by the Catholic Church.

We failed to hear, to believe, and to act on credible information regarding child sexual abuse.

There is no stepping aside from this fact, and it drives my ongoing commitment to personally do everything in my power to create and maintain safe environments for children in our schools and parishes.

• I share the concern of our civic leaders that religious leaders like myself follow the laws of our land.
• I support religious ministers holding mandatory reporting responsibilities, a change the Catholic Church proposed in 2013.
• I have committed the Archdiocese of Melbourne to organisational and cultural change.

We have policies, procedures and processes to achieve compliance with the Child Safe Standards; we are providing reports to the Commission for Children and Young People under the Reportable Conduct Scheme; we offer professional development of leaders and workers; we ensure accreditation of those involved in child related employment, and train our clergy and people in constant improvement in building a culture that recognises, respects and defends the rights of children and young people.

Alongside this commitment I will also uphold the Seal of Confession.

I recognise that many people find it hard to understand, or relate, to the importance of Confession in the lives of many Christians.

Even some Catholics who haven't "called in" for a long time only remember aspects of what it was once like.

So why, when faced with Victoria's proposed new laws on mandatory reporting of child abuse, which would include information revealed in Confession, would any reasonable Catholic person, or any person for that matter, express concern?

Violating the Seal of Confession does not address any reform needed to protect children from abuse in institutions and other contexts, which is the fundamental point of the royal commission.

We learned a great deal from that work, including the need for ongoing supervision of those who work with children, regular review of relevant policies, transparency and accreditation for religious ministers, none of which are addressed by removing the Seal of Confession.

Let me name some of my other deep concerns with the current draft of the bill. Continue reading

• Image: The Age

Orazio Caputoto is accused of informing members of a controversial lay group Catholic Culture and Environment Association (ACCA) of a police investigation into their leader for sexually abusing minors.

If Caputo is found guilty of breaking the confessional seal, he could be excommunicated according to canon law.

Caputo's alleged crime occurred after the mother of one of ACCA victims spoke to him during Reconciliation (confession)in 2017.

The mother says she told him of her concerns for her daughter's safety with the lay-led organisation.

She says she also told Caputo of a police investigation of ACCA's "Twelve Apostles" - the top officials of the association and its charismatic lay leader, Piero Alfio Capuna.

Capuna's acolytes thought he was the reincarnation of the Archangel Michael. He has since been charged with sexually abusing 10 underage girls while he headed ACCA.

In addition to his ecclesiastical trial, Caputo is undergoing civil proceedings. He is charged with aiding and abetting a criminal conspiracy.

According to wire-tapped phone conversations obtained by the police, Caputo informed the former president of ACCA and a regional councillor were about the police investigation.

If Caputo is guilty - canonically and civilly - of informing the ACCA leadership of the investigation, his acts would have allegedly allowed Capuna and his associates to hide any proof, documentation and information that could incriminate them.

"I hope that Caputo pays for what he did. First of all because I believed in him, I trusted him, but he betrayed me with the people who abused my daughter. I hope this will go well eventually and help in the civil trial," the mother says.

Source

• Crux Now
• Image: Eureka Street