The Catholic Archbishop of Goulburn and Canberra has written to parishioners to prepare them ahead of next week’s visit to Canberra by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
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He has also asked Catholics to pray for the victims who will be giving evidence over two weeks from next Tuesday.
“They [the commissioners] will be examining the way in which the Marist Brothers responded to allegations of child sexual abuse in their schools in the ACT, NSW and Queensland,’’ Archbishop Christopher Prowse said.
“I write to prepare you for the public testimonies of the very sad experiences of some victims.
“Many of you will be shaken by these horrendous stories. The victims deserve our prayers and support. They have been courageous in coming forward. We stand alongside them.
"I attach a prayer of intercession that you may wish to use in your Masses in the coming two weeks.”
The prayer reads: “As the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse conducts hearings in Canberra, we pray for all victims, especially those giving evidence. May the Holy Spirit heal the minds and hearts of victims. May we all work towards a world free from this terrible scourge. Lord hear us.”
Archbishop Prowse described sexual abuse in any form, especially by church leaders, as “one of the great scandals of our times”.
“These criminal acts are a cause of deep shame and humiliation for the Catholic Church. I offer my sincere apology to any victim. I commit the Archdiocese to co-operate fully with this royal commission in every way possible.”
The commission is to sit at the Canberra Magistrates Court from June 10 to June 20.
Marist Brother John William Chute, aka Brother Kostka, was sentenced to six years jail, one of which was to be served as weekend suspension and two of which were suspended, on June 23, 2008.
He had pleaded guilty to 19 counts of indecently touching six students aged between 12 and 16 between 1985 and 1989.
By December 2009 more than 20 civil cases brought by alleged victims had been settled.
It was reported at the time that individual settlements were in excess of $100,000.
