Survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests demand more than Catholic Bishop of Palmerston North John Adams' faith-based assertions that he “believes there has been a culture change” in the Church. (Stuff, July 30)

Bishop Adams knows he has currently at least one priest in ministry under church investigation, contradicting his talk of “zero appetite for abuse”.

At least two Palmerston North senior clergyman accused of sexual assault, one of a child and one of a young man, are still in active ministry and being protected today by Bishop Adams.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Aotearo regards the Bishop's attempts at marketing a new and improved Catholic Church as mere spin.

As the Government has been told this week in regard to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s Final Report, apologies are meaningless unless they are backed up by actions.

For instance, Adams’ comment that “every Catholic parish in New Zealand had material about safeguarding” is undermined by the fact that only one Catholic parish in his diocese has a sign displaying information where survivors or their whānau can receive independent support.

It’s understandable that the Bishop would want to draw attention away from the Royal Commission’s finding that “Catholic Church leaders have not been accountable or transparent to their congregations and the broader community about the nature and extent of abuse and neglect by their members” (Survivors’ experiences of abuse and neglect in faith-based care, para.199).

Further, Adams’ claim that his professional standards office has “an independent complaint process” was debunked by the Commission’s Interim Report Tāwharautia: Pūrongo o te Wā, December 2020. So why would Adams repeat that falsehood today?

Frankly, the Bishop’s hypocrisy is galling when he says “Some people in the past had been motivated to protect the church” while he goes about that very thing himself.

If you want the truth, listen to the survivors and believe the Royal Commission’s report, not the Bishop's smokescreen.

© Scoop Media