Sydney Cardinal George Pell has signalled that he is ready to re-open an investigation into abuse claims after the priest involved was reported to have admitted that the complained of activity was not consensual.Cardinal Pell made the concessions after a taped phone conversation between Anthony Jones and Fr Terence Goodall was played on the ABC's Lateline.
In it, Fr Goodall said he had not told Church investigators that Mr Jones consented to a sexual encounter in 1982, undermining Cardinal Pell's rejection of Mr Jones's sexual assault claims, The Age says.
Australia's most senior Catholic clergyman is under fire over a 2003 letter in which he erroneously said a Church investigator had not upheld Mr Jones's complaint of sexual assault against Father Goodall.
Cardinal Pell called it "an innocent error" on Tuesday but stuck to his view that there was not enough evidence of sexual assault despite the contrary findings of Church-appointed investigator Howard Murray, a former policeman.
The main reason Cardinal Pell rejected the claim was that Fr Goodall "categorically denies the accusation" of sexual assault.
But in the phone tap, Fr Goodall told Mr Jones: "I certainly didn't say it was consensual, I don't know where they got that from."
He apologised to Mr Jones on the phone, "because I thought I'd forced myself on you ... it was really, it was a very, very wrong thing to do and I was taking advantage of another man and it was very bad."
The conversation was recorded by police as evidence in 2003 for Fr Goodall's criminal trial, where he was convicted of indecently assaulting Mr Jones.
Asked if he would reopen the investigation, Cardinal Pell said: "Well, we would. I'd certainly take legal advice. I would. I've always said I'm happy to talk with Jones and if this new information is verified I'd certainly talk with him on a new basis."
He said his view that it was consensual came from a private conversation with Father Goodall in 2003, but that "if both parties say it wasn't consensual then you know there's just one conclusion."
Lateline reported that Cardinal Pell's lawyers had had the taped conversation since 2005.
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