They include the Church's part in faith-based redress for survivors - which will form part of the commission's Inquiry into the historic abuse of children in the state and faith-based care.

Cardinal John Dew, Vice-President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference welcomed the publication of the documents.

"We reaffirm our support for the work of the Royal Commission and our desire to learn from its work, which we are confident will contribute positively to the safeguarding of all people, and strengthening of families, communities and the wider society," Dew said.

The cardinal is also a member of Te Ropu Tautoko - the Church body established to liaise with the Royal Commission.

Catherine Fyfe, chair of Te Ropu Tautoko also welcomed the publication of the documents.

"Te Ropu Tautoko is already working with the commission's staff; and with Catholic dioceses and congregations to ensure timely and comprehensive responses, with transparency and openness," Ms Fyfe said.

"We will do all we can to positively engage in this important process of listening, acknowledging, learning, and reaffirming commitment to safeguarding the vulnerable."

"At the heart of our responses to the Royal Commission is a set of principles based on the belief that every person has innate human dignity.

With that at the front of our mind, we enter this process wanting to primarily listen to, learn from, and support those harmed in Catholic institutions."

The New Zealand bishops and congregational leaders sought to have the Church included in the work of the Royal Commission, which when first established was limited to inquiring into abuse in state care.

The NZ Catholic Bishops Conference and the Congregational Leaders' Conference Aotearoa New Zealand set up Te Ropu Tautoko to ensure the Church provides a co-ordinated and co-operative response to the Royal Commission from all the many dioceses, congregations and institutions of the Church.

The Catholic Church has provided care to children, young people and vulnerable adults from the 19th Century, and continues to provide care today.

The care provided has extended from its broadest pastoral obligations, to care within different institutional settings and entities including residential and non-residential care and schools.

The Inquiry will investigate abuse and neglect that occurred from 1950 to 1999, and has the discretion to consider abuse that occurred before 1950, and from 1999 to the present day.

Source

• Supplied: catholic.org.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

RNZ asked the president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop Patrick Dunn, whether bishops had shown a "lack of moral authority by not publicly repudiating the clauses and whether they had stepped up in the way Pope Francis had instructed."

(In August last year, Pope Francis released A letter to the People of God, which condemned the silencing and shaming of child sex abuse victims by church bodies.)

Dunn replied in an email saying:

"The New Zealand bishops have never in recent memory insisted on confidentiality clauses for abuse survivors.

Regarding the many other agencies of the church in New Zealand, and bearing in mind the importance of an accurate and speedy response from all of us to the Royal Commission, our representative body to give this coordinated response is our agency Te Ropu Tautoko (TRT). I have passed your request to them."

The chair of TRT, Catherine Fyfe told Stuff a waiver is important for survivors who engage with the Royal Commission.

She said TRT had recommended confidentiality waivers be issued, but that groups, which included religious orders exercised autonomy as separate legal entities in civil law and canon law.

She said bishops didn't have the authority to decide for them.

"Each organisation needs to consider the recommendation and feedback to us."

"We are aiming to finalise prior to public hearings," she said.

Fyfe said many, if not most, settlements dioceses and congregations made did not contain confidentiality clauses.

Dr Murray Heasley​​​, a spokesperson for Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions said it was ridiculous for TRT to suggest sixty or more Catholic entities needed to be consulted.

He said some of the Catholic entities referred to had minuscule memberships, and possibly included orders of nuns or monks that were never in a position of caring for children.

"What they're trying to do is put out a phoney, fake diversion."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• rnz.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• Image: redbanklegal.com