Anglican Bishops endorse national approach to sexual misconduct

The bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia have initiated a national approach to the handling of complaints of sexual misconduct.

Meeting in Perth for their annual national conference, all forty-two bishops reiterated their abhorrence of sexual abuse, especially of children. They expressed their profound regret at instances where this had occurred in the past involving Anglican clergy, church officers and institutions.

The bishops urged all State governments to implement uniform child protection legislation.

The conference discussed establishing a formal communication network to prevent known sexual offenders re-entering ministry, and will seek legal advice to bring this about.

The bishops also examined the moral issues associated with stem cell research, aspects of Christian-Muslim dialogue, and the ethics of armed intervention and peace-keeping.

They explored the changing nature of the Church’s mission in contemporary Australia, discussed current social and political issues, and reflected on the bishops’ role in leading the Church into the 21st century.