Adelaide archdiocese, Anglican archbishop continue at odds on abuse complaint
September 19, 2011
Officials of the Adelaide archdiocese complained to the Vatican that Anglican Archbishop John Hepworth was acting irrationally in his pursuit of claims that he had been sexually abused during his seminary years, an Australian journalist reports.
Christopher Pearson of The Australian reports that in 2008, after the Anglican leader had lodged his complaint, a Vatican official questioned whether Hepworth was entirely sane. Adelaide's Archbishop Philip Wilson had given the impression that Hepworth was irrational, Pearson claims.
The Adelaide archdiocese has denied complaints that it was slow to react to Hepworth's story of sexual abuse, saying that the traditionalist Anglican leader had not formally lodged a complaint until this year. Pearson's report indicates that archdiocesan leaders had made a report to Rome on the case much earlier.
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Further information:
- Police not the answer in archbishop's abuse claims (The Australian)
- Australian archdiocese denies ignoring sex-abuse complaint by Anglican archbishop (CWN 9/12)
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