Armidale's Catholic bishop has faced criticism this week for instructing Catholic school principals not to ask priests for Working With Children Checks (WWCC).
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In response, Bishop Michael Kennedy delivered a statement on Thursday afternoon reassuring his congregation that all priests in the Diocese of Armidale undertaking any ministry in Catholic schools had a current verified WWCC.
But it was a statement the left Alison Armstrong from the Loud Fence group shaking her head and wondering if the Catholic Church had really learnt anything from the Royal Commission into sexual abuse.
This process is followed because it is the Diocese rather than the school that is the priests’ employer.
- Bishop Michael Kennedy
Bishop Kennedy said the Diocese had provided the WWCC to the Catholic Schools Office who then made them available to school principals upon request.
"This process is followed because it is the Diocese rather than the school that is the priests’ employer," he said.
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Director of the Diocese’s Catholic Schools Office Chris Smyth said parents with children in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Armidale could be confident that all necessary and appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place and were adhered to.
"In order to ensure the protection of all children in their care, Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Armidale continue to implement a rigorous, comprehensive Child Protection Policy strengthened in accordance with the recommendations of the Royal Commission,” he said.
Alison Armstrong said she found Bishop Kennedy's revelations to be disturbing and alarming.
"Every employer has the right to request this sort of information from an employee if it is needed," Alison said.
"I think it is a basic requirement in the public system.
"It's a very basic starting point that gives me as a parent in the system reassurance and it is disturbing that he would not think that would not be a fair thing," Alison said.
"There are thousands of reasons why we have misplaced our trust. They are going to have to do a lot of work, and they are going to have to change and accept and stop this denial, this says to me that they are still in denial."
The Armidale Loud Fence support group is for victims of sexual abuse and their families. The Armidale chapter has more than 600 members and, as a member of the group and a parent.
