Retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson says some sexually abusive clergy did not think they breached their vow of celibacy by molesting boys.He also said that getting more women involved in church life is a crucial step forward.
He believes the issue of abuse will not be properly dealt with until the church holds a council, or a conference of all the bishops in the church, to revise the centuries-old doctrine on celibacy, women and sexuality, The Australian reports, citing an interview in The Australian Women's Weekly.
"We've met it often enough to see it as a factor," Bishop Robinson is cited saying. "That's what the vow of celibacy refers to, being married. If it's not an adult woman, then somehow they're not breaking their vow."
He said boys suffered more than girls at the hands of paedophile priests partly because they were more available to them, with nuns tending to play a greater role in the religious education of young girls.
Bishop Robinson was himself abused by a stranger, not a priest or family member, he has said.
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