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| And all the time blaming the gays.... |
With South Australian archbishop Philip Wilson being found guilty of covering up child sex abuse crimes, he has since stepped down from the position but has not resigned, awaiting the sentencing verdict on June 3rd in New South Wales where is crimes were committed. His defence is arguing that the poor dear won't go so well in jail because bla.
Contrary to this though are two sisters who were abused by another priest and who initiated the whole dominoes into Wilson eventually being convicted. They want the guy to do jail. Involved in this is the recognition that by the state finding Wilson guilty and to soon sentence him, that the Catholic church's days of being above Australian law are over.
ANTHEA Halpin and Denise Laverie are sisters whose complaint to police about being sexually abused by one of Australia’s most notorious Catholic priests, their uncle Denis McAlinden, started a process that led to Archbishop Philip Wilson’s conviction for concealing another priest’s crimes.
They stood on the steps of Newcastle Courthouse on Tuesday and sent a message to Australian bishops who continue to argue priests should be exempted from reporting child sex allegations disclosed during confession.
“That really upsets me, that anyone could place anything above protecting children, after all we know about what the church has done,” said Mrs Laverie.
“That has to change. And if the Catholic Church won’t do it then governments have to. The community demands it.”
Mrs Halpin, who recently revealed her part in Wilson’s conviction, said she was disgusted to read of cases where priests had committed crimes, been absolved by priests and had gone on to commit crimes against more children.
In an opinion piece on the weekend Chrissie Foster, whose two daughters were sexually abused by a priest, highlighted the case of Queensland priest Michael McArdle. In a sworn statement in 2003 he said he confessed to sexually assaulting children 1500 times to 30 different priests over a 25-year period.
Mrs Halpin said the case was shocking, but it was even more shocking to think of the number of priests who might have used the “sanctity” of the confessional to hide their crimes.
“If priests know about children being sexually abused that seal of the confessional should be broken, or the crimes continue. The rest of society seems to understand that. I don’t understand why the church seems to think it’s entitled to be treated differently, and I don’t accept it. It’s pretty clear a lot of Australians don’t accept it,” Mrs Halpin said.
“They place their own rule above protecting children. Politicians should be making sure that doesn’t continue.”
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Mrs Halpin and Mrs Laverie said they will be in court on July 3 when Newcastle magistrate Robert Stone sentences Wilson.
“We’ve waited a long time for this day. I’m happy he’s been found guilty. It means a lot. It recognises they’re not above the law,” Mrs Laverie said. The Herald
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| 2008 LGBT protest against Catholic world youth day, Sydney.... Emma Foster (my pic BTW) |
Following exposure of systemic child sexual abuse, ACT & South Australia have legislated to remove confessional protections. Tasmania & NSW are poised to do the same. As in Ireland, the Catholic Church is being dragged kicking & screaming into the 21st century.— Peter Fox 🦊🇦🇺 (@Peter_Fox59) June 20, 2018
Is the church above the law? #TheWeekly pic.twitter.com/g65BpGDquE— The Weekly (@theweeklytv) June 20, 2018
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