Child protection

  • Diocese of Parramatta Statement on Royal Commission Case Study 50

    On 6 February 2017, the Royal Commission began a public hearing to inquire into the current policies and procedures of Catholic Church authorities in Australia in relation to child-protection and child-safety standards, including responding to allegations of child sexual abuse. The public hearing is expected to run for three...
  • Pope Francis appoints Cardinal O’Malley to CDF role

    Pope Francis has appointed the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, widely seen as a leading reformer in the Catholic hierarchy, as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the powerful Vatican department that deals with clerical sexual abuse cases. The appointment is being seen...
  • Driving a cultural shift: “Child protection is everybody’s business”

    Claire Pirola is the new Manager of the Office for Safeguarding and Professional Standards. She comes to the Diocese of Parramatta from the Catholic Education Office in the Archdiocese of Sydney, where she worked for three years as part of the Safety, Wellbeing and Professional Services Team. Claire’s role...
  • Child sexual abuse: are churches covering up or opening up?

    Story originally published in the SMH By John McMillan Recent media coverage of Cardinal George Pell’s recall to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has ignited public debate on whether churches are willing to face up to child sexual abuse. Tim Minchin’s “musical attack” on...
  • Spotlight – The Movie

    Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The movie Spotlight currently screening in Australian cinemas is an important documentary drama on the evil of child abuse. The movie highlights the abuse of children committed by some priests and the cover up of these crimes by the Archdiocese of Boston. Whilst...