Melbourne's Archbishop Denis Hart issued a Pastoral Letter at the weekend in response to the recent international focus on the issue of the sexual abuse."The number of proven reported in cases of abuse occurring in the last ten years here in Melbourne have declined to less than a hand full," he said. "But even that's too many for me".
The Archbishop has pledged to continue the Melbourne Archdiocese's strong response to the allegations of sexual abuse.
"As Archbishop of Melbourne, I once again express my deep sorrow and offer a sincere and unreserved apology to all victims of the sexual abuse, and to their families," he continued.
"Sexual abuse in any form, and any attempt to conceal it, is a grave evil and is totally unacceptable. As Christ's Church we must face up to the truth of these revelations and not attempt to disguise, diminish or avoid in any way the actions of priests and religious who have been betrayed their sacred trust.
Archbishop Hart said that the Melbourne Response process, introduced on 1996 in consultation with Victoria Police, "goes a long way towards addressing compassionately the issue of sexual abuse in the Melbourne Archdiocese".
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