Bishop Ronald Mulkearns helped write rules on abuse

Ronald Mulkearns helped draft rules for dealing with claims of crimes by priests while overseeing pedophile priests.

Former bishop of Ballarat the late Ronald Mulkearns in Geelong. Picture: Mike Dugdale.

Ronald Mulkearns helped draft a protocol for dealing with alleg­ations of criminal behaviour by clergy while running the nation’s worst diocese for pedophile priests and brothers.

The former bishop of Ballarat, who died this month, was ­appointed to the special issues committee run by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference ­despite failing to deal with some of the world’s worst abusers.

Mulkearns presented a draft protocol to the conference in November 1989. It was to be observed if accusations of criminal behaviour, ­including pedophilia, were made against priests. The protocol, which was tendered to the child sex abuse royal commission, states that bishops have a responsi­bility to protect the reputation of individuals and the image of the church as a whole.

It states that bishops and major superiors must have ­regard to the welfare of any complainant, victim and accused, and safeguard individuals’ reput­ations and their right to privacy.

“They must safeguard the good name of the church as a whole and act to prevent or remedy scandal,” it said. “They must have a pastoral solicitude for those involved in criminal behaviour­, mindful of the words of the Lord who came ‘to seek out and save what was lost’ (Lk 19:10).”

The document states that, in every case pending investigation, the accused must not remain­ in a situation where it may be ­perceived that other people­, ­especially children, might be at risk. “He ought not undertake any public function since this might create greater scandal if he is subsequently found to have ­offended,” it states.

A few months earlier, Mul­kearns had investigated allegations concerning a priest known as BPB. The transcript of a discussion between Mulkearns’s suc­cessor, Bishop Peter Connors, and a solicitor with Catholic Church Insurance shows BPB ­admitted to the offending in 1989.

The solicitor, Patrick Monahan, tells Bishop Connors that Mulkearns sent BPB to see Fath­er Dan Torpy, a priest and registered psychologist. “Once the bishop was satisfied with that, he sent him to (redacted) and that’s where the next problems arose in the early 1990s, in 1992, at (redacted) and he was taken out of parish work and subsequently charged,” he said.

Mr Torpy told the commission that BPB told him a complaint had been raised about his activities with adolescent boys. He termin­ated the sessions once BPB disclosed the abuse.

Mulkearns died this month, aged 85, part-way through testimony to the royal commission.