Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, following the archbishop’s conviction for concealing child sexual abuse.
In a statement released on Monday night, Archbishop Wilson said he had submitted his resignation from the position of archbishop to the Pope on 20th July and had “now been informed that His Holiness has accepted my resignation”.
“Though my resignation was not requested, I made this decision because I have become increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt that my recent conviction has caused within the community,” he said.
Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the news which he said belatedly recognised the “many calls”, including his own, for the archbishop to resign.
“There is no more important responsibility for community and church leaders than the protection of children.”
In a statement, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said while the judicial process will continue, “Archbishop Wilson’s resignation is the next chapter in a heartbreaking story of people who were sexually abused at the hands of Jim Fletcher and whose lives were forever changed”.
“This decision may bring some comfort to them, despite the ongoing pain they bear”.
The archbishop was convicted of concealing child sexual abuse – perpetrated by now deceased paedophile priest Jim Fletcher in the 1970s – in May and last month was sentenced to 12 months detention with a six month non-parole term. He has said he intends to appeal the conviction.
