Australia

Abuse scandals blight world Catholic celebration

Article published on the 2008-07-16 Latest update 2008-07-16 13:06 TU

Pilgrims in Sydney carry a cross for World Youth Day.
Photo: Reuters

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world are expected to attend World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney, Australia, this week. But as Pope Benedict XVI prepares to address around 100,000 faithful on Thursday, the spectre of sexual abuse by Catholic priests has arisen, threatening to eclipse celebrations.

As more than 200,000 young Christians attend beach concerts, barbecues and religious classes in Sydney, Australia, the parents of two victims of sexual abuse are preparing to confront Pope Benedict and the Australian Church authorities.

Anthony Foster, whose two daughters suffered abuse at the hands of a Melbourne priest, plans to fly from Europe with his wife in order to demand a new system for dealing with perpetrators of abuse within the Church.

Despite a promise from the Pope to apologise to victims of abuse, as he did in the United States earlier this year, the scandal of sexual abuse by members is threatening to sour the Roman Catholic Church's biggest yearly celebration.

The pontiff has not said when he intends to address the issue of abuse.

Foster told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he would not accept an apology until the Church and its lawyers changed the way they dealt with abuse.

"I want a new system set up which provides lifetime help to victims, a system where they beg forgiveness of victims", he said. 

Foster's daughter, Emma, committed suicide this year aged 26, after struggling to come to terms with her abuse at the hands of a priest while in primary school. Her sister, Katie was also abused and turned to alcohol in her teens. She is now brain-damaged after being hit by a car while drunk.

The Australian Catholic Church says that it apologised to the family in 1998.

Broken Rites, a support group for victims, accused the Church of hypocrisy for spending millions on World Youth Day, while victims of abuse receive on average 25,000 Australian dollars, or just over 15,000 euros as compensation.

Earlier this week a court in Sydney overturned a law which made it illegal to "annoy" pilgrims at the festival.

The Pope is currently attending a four-day retreat outside Sydney, and will tomorrow come to the city to lead celebrations in front of hundreds of thousands of faithful.