Archbishop George Pell says air should be cleared and the truth revealed

CATHOLIC archbishops last night supported the decision to set up a royal commission into institutional child abuse.

CATHOLIC archbishops last night supported the decision to set up a royal commission into institutional child abuse, but denied the existence of systemic sexual abuse within their church.

"Sexual abuse is not confined to the Catholic Church. Tragically, it occurs in families, churches, community groups, schools and other organisations," said a statement agreed by the archbishops.

"While there were significant problems concerning some dioceses and some religious orders, talk of a systemic problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is ill-founded and inconsistent with the facts," they said on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference

The nation's most senior Catholic, Archbishop of Sydney George Pell, released a separate statement, saying "the air should be cleared and the truth uncovered".

"Public opinion remains unconvinced that the Catholic Church has dealt adequately with sexual abuse," Cardinal Pell said.

"Ongoing and at times one-sided media coverage has deepened this uncertainty. This is one of the reasons for my support for this royal commission."

The church had "taken decisive steps in the past 20 years to make child safety a priority and to help the victims of abuse," said the bishops conference statement.

The church leadership called on police and other authorities to release what information they had on the abuse cases they were dealing with and whether this took place in the church, families, government or private organisations.

Danielle Cronin, who chairs the parent committee of the National Catholic Education Commission, welcomed the inquiry as a chance to properly investigate allegations of child abuse, but wished to see more details about the royal commission.

"As parents and representatives of parent associations, we have a very strong interest in the protection of children anywhere and at any time," she said. "These matters, and these particular matters, need to be resolved urgently, but in relation to the royal commission we have no further comment at this point until we have more information."

Australian Council of State School Organisations president Peter Garrigan supported the nature and breadth of the inquiry.

"Being the voice of parents across Australia with children in government schools, I think it's important we have a say in ensuring the terms of reference will support the protection of all children," he said.

Australian Education Union federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said child sexual abuse was "abhorrent and let anyone found guilty of such abuse have the full weight of the law fall down on them".

Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia's national chairman Andrew Barr said the Prime Minister's decision sent "a very strong message that Australia will not tolerate child sexual abuse".

"All students, and their parents or carers, have the right to expect that schools will be safe places," he said.

"AHISA has a history of campaigning on pastoral care issues such as onscreen violence and violence in computer games, and more recently on cyber bullying.

"We will be looking for ways to co-operate with and assist the commission."