Melbourne priest Fr Anthony Guelen says that the media has unfairly linked the large majority of innocent priests with child abuse. The Dandenong priest who is celebrating 50 years as a priest said he was glad that Pope Benedict XVI this week apologised to victims of child sex abuse on behalf of the Catholic Church, Star News says.
But he said media coverage had unfairly targeted all priests when the large majority were innocent.
"I think it is unfair that only priests are being highlighted in this," Fr Guelen said.
"Most child abuse happens in home life, and it's never highlighted that it happens in other professions.
"No one else gets the same publicity, and yet 98 percent of Catholic priests you couldn't say anything bad about."
Fr Guelen said his jubilee year as a priest had come as St Mary's Catholic Church in Dandenong celebrated its 125th year.
Fr Guelen arrived in Australia in 1955 from Holland, where he began his theological studies.
He then joined a seminary in Melbourne and was in 1958 sent to Dandenong where he worked alongside Father Kevin O’Donnell, a priest who unbeknown to Fr Guelen would later be convicted and jailed for child sex abuse.
In 1965, he left to go to Carlton and in 1971 he was given the task of starting a parish in St Albans South, with just five acres of land.
He returned to Dandenong at St Mary’s in 1985 and has preached there ever since.
The widely respected priest said he had witnessed Dandenong change from a country town to a sprawling city.
He even remembered when Greater Dandenong mayor John Kelly was an altar boy.
Fr Guelen gave thanks to the St Mary’s Parish which he said had supported him over the last 23 years
"I want to say thank you for the good help you've given me," he said.
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