A leaked confidential minute from a meeting of the Senate of Priests in 2002 reveals that compensation paid in sex abuse cases in Melbourne came from "the money of the Archdiocese given by its people," a news report said. Archbishop Denis Hart said in the document, obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun, that the sex abuse compensation money did not come from the Church.
"The money is not the Archbishop's, nor the money of the Roman Catholic Trusts Corporation, but the money of the Archdiocese given by its people," he was reported as saying.
He was replying to a priest's question about capped compensation.
"It was felt this (capped) amount was what could be managed within the parameters of Church responsibility towards the victims . . . as well as being responsible towards the people of the archdiocese whose money the Church holds in trust and which has to be managed appropriately, on the other," Archbishop Hart said.
A spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne confirmed the collection plate funding continued, the news report added.
"The compensation is covered by diocesan funds and supplemented by insurance," he said.
"Diocesan funds comprise contributions by the laity, donations from supporters of the Church and the returns derived from the prudent investment and management of available funds."
Victims' advocates were reportedly outraged that parishioners were not being told that they were "paying for the sins of the Fathers." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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