New Zealand’s Catholic Church yesterday formally apologized to the survivors of abuse, and said its systems and culture must change.
Cardinal John Dew, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington and Metropolitan of New Zealand, made the apology at the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care on behalf of bishops and congregational leaders in New Zealand.
“Today, recognizing the importance of this moment, I apologize to you, on behalf of the bishops and congregational leaders of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand,” said Dew, who is also the president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference. “I also apologize to you on behalf of those who preceded us as bishops and congregational leaders. We offer no excuses for their actions, or for ours, that have caused you harm.”
Dew’s comments in Auckland were part of witness statements being recorded from faith-based institutions at the inquiry that is underway to resolve historic and current abuse claims.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern set up the commission in 2018, saying the nation needed to confront “a dark chapter” in its history, and later expanded it to include churches and other faith-based institutions.
An interim report by the commission in December last year found that up to 250,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults were physically and sexually abused in faith-based and state care institutions from the 1960s to early 2000s.
The inquiry found children, some from as young as nine months old, suffered years of abuse, which included rape and electric-shock treatment, by staff at psychiatric and state care facilities, clergy and foster guardians.
“We acknowledge that the systems and culture of the Church allowed abuse to occur. These systems and culture failed you, and must change,” Dew said.
The commission is to make recommendations to the government in its final report later this year. It is one of longest and most complex commissions of inquiry undertaken in New Zealand.
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