Cape Town’s Catholic archbishop received a verbal lashing from Camps Bay church members for not reporting a paedophilic priest to police, the Cape Times website reported on Wednesday.
It said Archbishop Lawrence Henry apologised to his critics at a meeting on Tuesday night, saying he did not tell police because he did not know he was required to report it.
Former parish priest Patrick Thornton made a confession of sexual abuse in January 2004. In September this year, he was convicted of indecently assaulting teenage boys more than a decade ago.
Henry said: ”It was a first for me. ”I’m sorry about the non-action and the slow process of the protocol. If this happens again, we will deal with these things expeditiously.”
One parishioner described Henry as ignorant, and suggested that he should vacate his post.
Henry replied: ”I’m not without sin and I’m not without faults but I don’t think I have done anything grossly wrong,” he said.
Head of the protocol committee Frank Whyte told the meeting that protocol duty dictated the archbishop should have instructed the complainant to report the incident to the police.
Henry said: ”I’m not trying to defend myself. I am deeply distressed and devastated by what has happened. I want to extend the hand of friendship and say ‘I am sorry”’.
Thornton (75) was placed under correctional supervision after his conviction. He died after a car crash last week.
Henry said he had known Thornton since 1963, when he worked as his assistant for three years.
He recalled that Thornton — who was the Christian Brothers College chaplain in the 1990s — had mentioned a ”particular friendship” with one of the boys and that he did not want the principal to know about it.
Henry said he did not give much thought to that statement: ”I didn’t even think in terms of sex.” – Sapa