CHILD ABUSE ROYAL COMMISSION - ABOUT BLOODY TIME

It’s mildly disturbing to discover you agree with Christopher Pyne about something. The use of the confessional seal to protect paedophile priests is an appalling anachronism. The Catholic Church is one of few still employing it – some denominations even practice public confession.

            Cardinal Pell has responded in his usual arrogant fashion to news of the Royal Commission. He defends the sanctity of the confessional, and looks forward to the investigation sorting the “real cases” from the “exaggerations”.

            Until now, while usually disagreeing with him, I could respect the Cardinal-Archbishop for his mind and achievements; so much for that ...

I used to respect another bishop, the one in charge of the diocese where I grew up. He was friendly, approachable, and good with kids. At all the milestones of my catholic upbringing – reconciliation, first communion, confirmation – there he was.

His local subordinate was the Monsignor. There are photos of me with both these men on my big days. The Monsignor used to come occasionally to my grandmother’s house; sit in her kitchen, drink her tea, and eat her biscuits.

I don’t know if either of these bastards, when he put his arm around me and smiled into the camera at my first communion, had heard a specific confession of what was done to me. I don’t even care. They knew what had been done to other boys, and had moved the offending priest to another diocese. None of the parents were ever told.

Both are dead now. Both taught the doctrine of Purgatory. The revelations of recent months make me want to believe in it: I’d like to think they’ll spend some time there.

In announcing the Royal Commission the Prime Minister used an unfortunate phrase: ‘Those who averted their eyes from this evil’. Averted eyes aren’t the problem; aiding and abetting abuse is the problem. For years the church hierarchy actively covered up child abuse, not merely protecting abusing priests but moving them on to find fresh victims.

Even now, there is anecdotal evidence of them hindering police investigations. Their method of dealing with victims – and here Cardinal Pell is personally culpable – is to throw money at them and shut them up. Given that one frequent outcome of child abuse is drug abuse, that hush money has done even more damage.

 And still the Cardinal sings his old tune: It’s all a media smear campaign; priests need to be protected from the moral trauma of disclosing criminal confessions; and anyway, other people do it too. I’m waiting for him to mention the recent BBC troubles.

He’s right in one respect. The Royal Commission must, and will, investigate abuse in more than one organisation. It should search as widely and as long as is necessary to root out this scum from our institutions – the perpetrators and their collaborators.

Is the Catholic Church unfairly being made the face of this issue? An institution which regards itself as the world’s spiritual parent and arbiter of public morality deserves to be held to the highest standard: it succeeds or fails above all by example.

Ordinary Catholics, their children, and the majority of honest clergy who serve them deserve better. Perhaps a little public penitence would do some good.