The Catholic Church, Sydney Diocese, has been under the spotlight at one of the Child Abuse Inquiries in Australia. The Commision also looked at the question of compensation for victims. This report by the Canberra Times sums up the attitude of the Catholic Church as fighting tooth and nail against having to pay compensation. That in spite of the fact that in the Sydney Diocese alone
Quoting the report:
The archdiocese's assets have nearly doubled since 2004, to over $1 billion at the end of 2013. While liabilities and expenses grew similarly, the net position is a healthy one: net assets grew from $103 million in 2000 to $192 million in 2013.
In 2007 the annual surplus was $43.95 million. It was $19.6 million in 2006, and $9.2 million last year. Much of this has been achieved through real estate sales.
Since Pell became archbishop in 2001 the archdiocese has paid out $6.8 million to settle 82 claims for sex abuse according to figures provided by the archdiocese's business manager, Danny Casey - an average of $83,200. The largest payout was $795,000.
The newspaper's view of the Church's attitude is:
The now infamous case of the brilliant lawyer and sex abuse survivor John Ellis before the child sex abuse royal commission has laid bare for the first time not just the Sydney Catholic archdiocese's wealth but the cold, dark heart of its handling of child sex abuse complaints.
Full story at: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/church-fought-abuse-claimants-tooth-and-nail-20140328-35ody.html