A Christchurch men's support group is urging Catholics to boycott the collection plate at Mass in protest at how a long-running historic sex abuse scandal is being handled. The Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust made the call in response to a High Court judge excusing a member of the St John of God Order from standing trial because of a four-year delay in the case going to court.
A permanent stay was granted on Thursday and the jury panel stood down.
The member, whose name is suppressed, was charged in 2003 with eight counts relating to indecent assaults on boys or inducing indecent acts by them, dating back to the late 1960s.
Trust manager Ken Clearwater said the men he supported were incensed with the judgment and delays in bringing other clergy members to trial.
The idea for a collection plate boycott came from the United States where it had been used by a support group for victims abused by priests.
"Would parishioners who really care about children who have been sexually violated within Catholic orders be prepared to withhold their donation to the collection on Sunday as a protest?" said Clearwater.
"The only way to hit the Church where it hurts is in the pocket."
But Catholic Communications director Lyndsay Freer said the protest would be ineffective because it would target innocent parish priests and parishioners.
Donations to the collection plate went towards running the parish and the diocese.
"The point needs to be very strongly and clearly emphasised that St John of God is an order with its headquarters in Australia," Freer said.
"The offending by a member of that order has nothing to do with the diocese or the diocesan clergy or the parishes.
"To boycott the collection plate, if people want to lodge a protest, would not be targeting those affected. They would be targeting the parishes' innocent priests and others who have no bearing at all on this particular case."
The latest court judgment has raised questions about whether cases against two other St John of God members will proceed.
Brother Rodger Moloney, 71, and Father Raymond Garchow, 59, lost protracted battles against extradition from Australia to face historic charges.
Greg King, defence counsel for Moloney, had not yet read the judgment.
"Until I have had an opportunity to properly consider it, then I can't make any type of comment."
Moloney's case is set down for a pre-trial hearing early next month.
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