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 to answer questions with "honesty and candour".

He said the church's response in New Zealand has followed an international pattern.

The steps included playing down descriptions of the offending, moving abusive clergy to new parishes, keeping complaints secret and, above all, not telling police.

He said the systemic failure, and the church's refusal to discuss the cases raised by the Otago Daily Times showed why New Zealand's upcoming Royal Commission into historic abuse needed to be expanded.

Tombs is the Director role at the Centre and the Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues.

He has a longstanding interest in contextual and liberation theologies and is the author of Latin American Liberation Theologies.

His current research focusses on religion, violence, and public theology, and especially on Christian responses to gender-based violence, sexual abuse and torture.

From 2001-2014 he lived and worked in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as an assistant professor of conflict resolution and reconciliation for the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin.

Desmond Cahill Emeritus Professor of Intercultural Studies of RMIT (the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University), also criticised the Government for not extending the terms of reference of its historical inquiry into abuse in state care homes to include religious institutions.

He said New Zealand faced the same issues as elsewhere in the world when it came to clericalism and its failure to protect children.

His guess was the incidence of abuse was not as bad in New Zealand as it had been in Australia.

He pointed out colonial New Zealand had a short Royal Commission in August 1900 that examined abuse in a Catholic residential care institution for teenage boys outside Nelson, which "may have had a salutary and mitigating impact for several generations".

Cahill was a senior consultant on clerical sex abuse in the Catholic Church for the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse,

A spokeswoman for Tracey Martin, the Minister of Internal Affairs, said she could not comment on Cahill's remarks, as Martin was "actively considering" the recommendations of commission chairman Sir Anand Satyanand on the terms of reference.

Source

• odt.co.nz
• www.otago.ac.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: nzbar.org.nz

Wilson should not be allowed to remain an archbishop while he appeals against his conviction, says Turnbull, who is a Catholic.

The National Council of Priests (NCP) in Australia agrees with Turnbull.

"While the Archbishop is exercising his constitutional right to appeal his conviction, his tenure as Archbishop of Adelaide has been compromised," a statement from the NCP says.

"For the good of the Church in Australia and for the benefit of the People of God in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, the Executive of the NCP requests that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, removes Archbishop Philip Wilson from his See." Turnbull's is one of a number of voices calling for Wilson's resignation.

Although they have not sought papal intervention, a number of leading Australian prelates have also called for Wilson's resignation. They include Melbourne's Archbishop-elect Peter Comensoli, who will soon lead the nation's largest diocese.

"I think the path he is taking is not of benefit for God's people in Adelaide, so I along with a number of other bishops have sought to counsel Philip in that regard," Comensoli says.

"There are many leaders that have called on him to resign, it's clear that he should resign and I think the time has come now for the ultimate authority in the church to take action and sack him."

While Wilson stood down from his position as archbishop days after being convicted for covering up child sexual abuse, he is adamant he will resign only if his appeal fails.

"I am conscious of calls for me to resign and have taken them very seriously," he said earlier this month.

"However, at this time, I am entitled to exercise my legal rights and to follow the due process of law. Since that process is not yet complete, I do not intend to resign at this time."

Wilson will return to court in August, when he will be told if he will serve his sentence in prison or at his sister's house in home detention.

He must serve a minimum of six months before becoming eligible for parole.

Source

• Eureka Street
• NZ Herald
• Crux
• Guardian
• Image:ABC