Vatican reporter Edward Pentin has written "The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation of Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family".

The Relatio post disceptationem, or interim report, released half-way through the synod discussions sparked furious debate.

Pentin wrote that at issue were "three controversial paragraphs the contents of which had been barely, or not at all, discussed by the synod fathers".

"One of these paragraphs referred to proposals for readmission of divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to Holy Communion, and two other paragraphs dealt with the pastoral care of homosexuals and cohabiting couples."

Pentin wrote that Archbishop Bruno Forte, the synod's special secretary, was widely considered to have been the main author of the document.

"The Italian theologian, together with all the members of the drafting committee, drew on the lengthy written speeches of each synod father submitted prior to the meeting.

"Apparently, certain points from these written speeches found their way into the draft report, even if the bishops had not mentioned them during the four minutes allotted to each speaker.

"Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi said he recalled only one speech out of about 265 that discussed homosexuals during the debate.

"Defenders of the report, therefore, say it is not surprising that much did not seem familiar in the interim report because the written submissions were not made public or distributed to the bishops themselves.

"The oral presentations only reflected a summary or particular point that a bishop wanted to make.

The defenders also noted that the interim report had to be produced quickly, and that there were no transcripts available of verbal interventions.

In a response to published excerpts of Pentin's book, National Catholic Reporter columnist Michael Sean Winters took issue with many of the points made.

Winters described as "pernicious" Pentin's suggestion that the interim report was given to the press in an effort to sway the synod towards its purportedly more "liberal" views.

Sources

• Catholic World Report
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: International Business Times

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse delivered its interim report to government on June 30.

So far the commission has received allegations of child sexual abuse in more than 1000 individual institutions.

More than sixty percent of these were faith-based, with more than two thirds of those being Catholic.

Writing in The Guardian, Adam Brereton noted that "child abuse in Australia has a distinctively Roman Catholic character".

The report records that 87 per cent of alleged abusers were male, and 29 per cent of those were clergy.

The commission says child sexual abuse in institutions is widely under-reported, despite legal obligations.

Its report notes that: "The Royal Commission wants to find out why there have been a significant number of perpetrators in certain institutions."

Brereton took this as a reference to the Catholic Church in Australia in particular.

He wrote that a picture emerges of the commission as a "contest between two organisations, two competing ways of structuring the world, two ways of approaching suffering".

These are "a hyper-competent, receptive, victims-focused commission; and an inwardly-looking, hierarchical and obstinate church".

The royal commission's report noted that institutions that operate with accountability only to themselves pose significant risks.

It also says mandatory reporting laws across Australia are inconsistent and many people are unaware of their responsibilities under those laws.

Although it has not yet made any recommendations, the commission is looking closely at compensation schemes for victims.

The royal commissioners have asked for a two-year extension, suggesting they deliver their final report in December, 2017.

They said such an extension would allow them to conduct an extra 3000 private sessions with abuse survivors and 30 more public hearings.

The extra hearings are essential to fulfil its terms of reference, the commission says.

Attorney-General George Brandis has said the Australian government is considering the request for an extension.

So far, the commission has referred more than 160 matters to police.

Sources

• SBS
• The Guardian
• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: Daily Mail