In her opening address on Tuesday, counsel assisting the royal commission Gail Furness said Bishop Ronald Mulkearns remains subject to a summons to appear before the commission, but is receiving palliative care and is unfit to give evidence.

Between January 1980 and February 2015, 140 claims of sexual abuse made against Ballarat priests and religious operating within the Diocese of Ballarat.

“Should his health improve sufficiently royal commission intends to call him to give evidence in public,” she said.

Ms Furness said among the witnesses will be evidence given from Paul Levey, a Mortlake abuse victim of disgraced priest Gerald Ridsdale. The commission heard Mr Levey allegedly lived with Ridsdale in the presbytery in 1982 for a period of time after his parents separated. He claimed he was abused on a daily is expected to give evidence that Ridsdale still haunts him to this day.  

Mr Levey’s mother is also set appear to give evidence she requested for him to be removed from the presbytery, but her pleas were ignored by Bishop Mulkearns who told her Ridsdale had Paul’s father’s approval.  

The commission also heard evidence would be given from Mary Donoghue, the mother of one of disgraced priest Paul Ryan’s victims.

The inquiry heard Ms Donoghue will allege she went to see Bishop Mulkearns to tell him her sons thought he was evil, he had dirty pictures and was not appropriate to be ordained as a priest. 

Victim David Ridsdale, nephew of disgraced paedophile priest Gerard Ridsdale, will front the commission this morning, to defend claims Cardinal George Pell attempted to bribe him to stay quiet.