3pm
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Fr Bryant says he was told by Bishop Mulkearns there was a problem with homosexuality in the Ballarat Diocese at a meeting of college of consultors in 1982. Fr Bryant said it was his first meeting as a consultor to the bishop.
“I remember him saying we have a problem with homosexuality and he referred to Ridsdale and what he’d done, but there was no discussion whatsoever,” he told the inquiry.
2.45pm
Ballarat Diocese priest Father Eric Bryant is now giving evidence. Fr Bryant is being questioned about his time as assistant priest in Portland and whether he heard anything about Ridsdale’s offending.
Fr Bryant told inquiry knew of Ridsdale when he was working in Mortlake and Edenhope.
Fr Bryant said came to suspect Ridsdale was sexually abusing children in between 1985 and 1988.
“I began to hear and suspect he had interfered with young people,” he said.
2.15pm
Fr Madden told inquiry he does not recall ever holding a requiem mass with Cardinal Pell at St Patrick’s Cathedral
2pm
Fr Madden flatly denied ever having a conversation with Cardinal George Pell in which a victim said he overheard the senior Vatican telling another parish priest about the sexual abuse of boys by disgraced paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale during the 1980s.
Earlier this week, the inquiry heard Victim BWE told the inquiry he overhead a conversation between Father Frank Madden and then-auxiliary priest George Pell inside the sacristy at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
BWE said he was an altar boy at the time and was getting ready for a funeral service in the alcove with another altar boy.
"I heard him exchange pleasantries with Father Madden, I heard his voice but I could not see him from where I stood,” BWE told the inquiry. “Father Madden said ‘How’s everything down your way?’ or words to that effect. George Pell responded by saying ‘I think Gerry's been r…ting boys again.’”
When asked if he ever had the conversation in question with Cardinal Pell, Fr Madden replied: “Absolutely not.”
1.30pm
Fr Frank Madden accepted inquiry he must take some responsibility for reshuffling of Ridsdale and the devastation he caused to people.
He also told inquiry he regretted writing a character reference letter for Ridsdale as he faced child sex abuse allegations.
“I can’t escape some responsibility for my role in not questioning some of the moves,” he told inquiry. “ I can understand that in retrospect, as being part of the College of Consultors and as vicar-general I have to take some responsibility and I regret that.
When asked what responsibility he took Fr Madden went onto say he wished he had acted differently.
“Well, the responsibility for not having asked more questions or being more investigative of what was going on...of going along with what was proposed,” he said. “I can understand that now and you wish...that I’d done something else. Because now as I understand it, the extent and nature of and effect of his offending which I didn’t know then of course, I take more responsibility for not asking more questions or being more curious of Gerry Ridsdale.”
1pm
Fr Frank Madden probed on his knowledge of Ridsdale's offending when the disgraced priest worked as his assistant priest in Horsham in 1988.
Inquiry hears Ridsdale told Fr Madden shortly after starting at parish: “I have to move on, my past has caught up with me.”
Fr Madden told inquiry: “I asked him what he meant by that and the matter was with police told me he'd been offending against boys, children and that the matter was with the police."
Ridsdale told Fr Madden "I'll go to jail over this."
Fr Madden said he was "shocked and horrified" by nature of offences.
12.45pm
Fr Madden is being questioned about his whereabouts during a funeral in which Cardinal George Pell allegedly told him Ridsdale had been raping young boys.
Told inquiry has no recollection of funeral and pressed inquiry for more information on deceased.
12pm
Fr Madden is now being grilled about Gerald Ridsdale.
Inquiry told by Fr Madden that while he was close with Ridsdale’s parents did not have close relationship with disgraced Ballarat priest.
“I wasn’t a particular mate or friend of Gerry’s,” he told the inquiry. “We related professionally and that was it.”
Fr Madden is being cross-examined on how much he knew about Ridsdale’s movements, particularly his prompt removal from from coastal parish of Apollo Bay and sudden disappearance from Inglewood.
Ridsdale told the inquiry in May he was forced to leave Apollo Bay after someone told him “they are saying things down at the pub about you and kids”.
Inquiry hears Fr Madden was aware Ridsdale was having counselling for “troubles.”
Fr Madden tells inquiry he did not know what these “troubles” were and is then asked by Justice Peter McClellan what he understood the counselling was for.
“Well, if I had of thought about it at all, my first thought would have been depression,” Fr Madden said. “Because I’d lived with a priest who had suffered from depression and he had frequent counselling.”
EARLIER TODAY:
Retired Ballarat diocese priest Father Frank Madden is the first witness to be grilled by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The retired priest is giving evidence via video link from Warrnambool.
Fr Madden was vicar-general from May 1971 to April 1976.
Fr Madden told inquiry he did not receive any complaints from parishioners during that time.
He is being grilled by lawyers about his knowledge of sexual abuse allegations against disgrace Mildura priest, Monsignor John Day.
Fr Madden has continually told the inquiry he has “no recollection” of a meetings held during 1972 which discussed the movements and resignation of Day from the Mildura parish.