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The Catholic Church has dismissed recommendations designed to prevent further child sexual abuse by priests and members of religious orders.
In its final report delivered on Friday, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended the church break the confessional seal of confidentiality on matters of child sex abuse, and make the vow of celibacy voluntary for religious practitioners. Melbourne archbishop Denis Hart and Sydney archbishop Anthony Fisher quickly refused to consider the recommendations, with Fisher saying that compelling priests to report child sex abuse they hear in confession to police “would be a real hurt to all Catholics”.
Read more here
Alex McKinnon, The Saturday Paper
