The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia have today confirmed that the Church will enter the national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse when that becomes possible under national legislation.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia have established a new advisory group that will play a crucial role in influencing and monitoring the Catholic Church’s ongoing response to the child sexual abuse scandal.

In 2013, Pope Francis wrote that being a Missionary was at the very heart of being a Catholic, a parish or a Catholic Institution. For the past 27 years, Sr Patricia Fox, the Superior of the Our Lady of Sion Order has been living these ideals as a Missionary to the poor and marginalised in the Philippines.

The Chief Executive of the Catholic Church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council, Mr Francis Sullivan, has urged all states to join New South Wales and Victoria in signing up to the national child sexual abuse redress scheme as Catholic leaders reiterated their long-standing support of the scheme.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has today given its Final Report to the Governor General. Many of the findings and recommendations will have significant impact on the way the Catholic Church operates in Australia.