Fr Terrence Millard denies smacking a nine-year-old boy at St John Vianney church in Greenacre last year.

No conviction was recorded against the priest, but Fr Millard went on leave from the parish.

The appeal will be heard at Parramatta District Court on October 1.

A spokeswoman for Sydney archdiocese said it was in no way involved in Fr Millard's appeal.

"It is a private action and the archdiocese is not paying legal fees," she said.

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Fr Terrence Millard of St John Vianney and St Thomas More parish in Greenacre was found guilty in Bankstown Local Court, but no conviction was recorded against him.

The priest denied having hit eight-year-old "Peter" (not his real name), in the upper buttocks region, for perceived bad behaviour in church.

A letter from Fr Millard to the Sydney Catholic Education Office confirmed there were 42 students and a teacher in the church on September 11.

The priest's version of events stated there were several troublesome children, the teacher had been distracted and Peter had slid across the pew and "started pulling faces at people who had been to confession".

He said he merely escorted Peter to a station of the cross and ordered him to stay there.

The boy's version of events alleged Fr Millard grabbed him and positioned him in front of a station of the cross, and then the smack was delivered.

The testimony of a teacher who witnessed the incident led to the guilty verdict against Fr Millard.

Peter's mother said in the days after the incident, her son had become deeply troubled and could not sleep, fearing further punishment.

A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Sydney described the incident as "extremely regrettable".

"Fr Millard is on leave and discussions are underway about his future," she said.

Fr Millard's lawyer said his client possessed an "unbelievably good reputation" and had worked "tirelessly" for the community.

"This poor bloke's life has been ruined, destroyed. He cannot be a priest anymore because he tried to chastise a child, as he was entitled to do in his own church."

Peter's parents were further upset when it was announced at Mass in Greenacre that the court case had gone the priest's way.

A parish bulletin also stated the case against Fr Millard had been dismissed.

The archdiocese spokeswoman said a correction will be published that "very clearly and factually states what happened".

Sources

• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: The Guardian

Shame, because I'd been a fan until I read her letter to the Irish Times on Saturday criticising the pope for his remarks, on the basis that they're at odds with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which, apparently, has zero tolerance when it comes to corporal punishment.

Actually, make that two benefits to flow from the row.

I hadn't even heard about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child until she brought it up and if I hadn't realised it was so preposterous, I'd probably have been instinctively in favour of it - well, who's against the Rights of the Child?

Anyway, McAleese feels that the Vatican's commitment to this particular UN Convention is now in doubt.

Another critic is Peter Saunders, a former victim of clerical sexual abuse - I'm a bit tired of the term ‘survivor' in this context - who is a member of the Vatican's commission on stopping the molestation of minors.

Saunders, also head of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, says he was hit and ‘it did me a lot of harm'.

Well maybe, but there's a spectrum here, isn't there, between smacking a toddler for playing with matches to the modus operandi favoured by so many Irish fathers a generation ago, viz, whacking children with a belt.

Personally, I'm rubbish at corporal punishment. Continue reading

• Melanie McDonagh in The Spectator

Melanie McDonagh is a leaderwriter for the Evening Standard and Spectator contributor. Irish, living in London.

He made the remarks during his weekly general audience at the Vatican on February 4, which was devoted to the role of fathers in the family.

The Pope outlined the traits of a good father, as someone who forgives but is able to "correct with firmness", while not discouraging the child.

"One time, I heard a father in a meeting with married couples say ‘I sometimes have to smack my children a bit, but never in the face so as to not humiliate them'," Francis said.

"How beautiful." he added.

"He knows the sense of dignity! He has to punish them but does it justly and moves on."

Some child welfare campaigners have questioned the Pope's comments.

A spokesman for the United Kingdom's National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) said it took a zero tolerance approach to the corporal punishment of children.

Referring to the Pope's comments, NAPAC's John Bird said: "I don't know what he had in mind when he said this.

"It's about interpretation and where you draw the line."

NAPAC's founder, Peter Saunders, who is part of a Vatican commission to protect minors, was to attempt to raise the issue with the Pope during a meeting last week.

Mr Saunders said, given the Pope was not and never had been a parent, perhaps he needed advice on the upbringing of children.

He was sure that if the Pope had not chosen life as a priest, that he would have become a good parent and one who would not have used physical violence.

Fr Thomas Rosica, who collaborates with the Vatican press office, said the Pope was obviously not speaking about committing violence or cruelty against a child.

Rather, he was speaking about "helping someone to grow and mature", Fr Rosica said.

The Church's position on corporal punishment came under criticism last year during a grilling by members of a United Nations human rights committee monitoring implementation of the UN treaty on the rights of the child.

The Vatican argued that it in no way promoted corporal punishment.

But the head of its delegation said he would take recommendations back to Rome for review.

Sources

• The Guardian
• BBC
• Irish Times
• Image: Huffington Post

Dr Krysten Winter-Green, who is based in Boston and works with abused young people, said there was no type of corporal punishment for children that was acceptable.

Dr Winter-Green has served in dioceses around the world with homeless persons and those living with Aids.

She specialises in areas of child abuse that include forensics, assessment and treatment of priest/clergy offenders. Continue reading