Sexually abusive priests can throw up some interesting dilemmas for congregations! In the article below, Sharwood, after serving a jail term for abusing a 13yo boy, and immediately before his church tribunal hearing to determine whether he should remain a priest or be defrocked, sang in his local church choir. (Incidentally, he was released from jail 3 *months* ago, not 3 years ago, and his full sentence was nearly 3 years.)

Points to ponder:

1) Where does a congregation draw the line between safety and allowing a paedophile to have a role in church life?

2) Is allowing him to take an open role in church life going to be seen (by him or others) as endorsement?

3) Even if the congregation is told of his history (and it appears that some members, at least, weren’t), are the children warned, or only the adults?

4) Given that for the convicted offence, he established an opportunity to groom the victim through music, should he be barred from a situation which might either facilitate his re-offending, or place him in temptation’s way?

Other points to consider, such as forgiveness and its relationship to trust, forgetting, punishment and reconciliation, and the difference between repentance and remorse, are covered in detail on my website http://www.clergyabuseaustralia.org.

Of course, I think a criminal conviction for sexual offences or crimes of violence ought to cause automatic defrocking. It’s not enough to remove a convicted minister from the one position he happens to be in at the time the offence is discovered, while still implying that he is fit to hold office.

Clare

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23268787-3102,00.html

*Church accepts convicted pedophile priest into choir

by **Tanya Chilcott and Alison Sandy

Courier Mail, Brisbane, February 24, 2008 *

A CONVICTED pedophile priest is being allowed to sing in a choir with children at one of Brisbane’s most distinguished Anglican churches. Robert Francis Sharwood, who was released from jail three years ago after serving a year for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy, sang in the third row of the Holy Trinity Church choir in Fortitude Valley yesterday.

A 14-year-old and 16-year-old girl sang in the front, while infants and children, including young boys, were present in the congregation. The mother of one of the girls, who did not want to be named, said she knew Sharwood’s history and had “no problem with it”. She said the entire church “was aware of the situation” and made the decision to accept him.

But three other parishioners, including a parent of an infant, denied they had been told. Sharwood still remains a priest but the church’s professional standards board will hold a hearing on Saturday to decide whether he will be defrocked.

When asked by The Courier-Mail if he would be interviewed about the decision to allow Sharwood in the choir, Rector Father Trevor Bulled said “most certainly not”.

Instead he asked, “did you see where he was sitting?” “Did you see where the children were sitting? How can he reach them from there?” Father Bulled said.

When approached, Sharwood said “go away” and his wife, who is listed on the Holy Trinity Church website as teaching music to children, also asked The Courier-Mail to leave.

She said there was another side to the story but she had “no confidence” in it being reported correctly in the paper. A court was told in November 2006 that a shared interest in music had helped Sharwood to develop a relationship with his child victim, who was abused over a two-year period more than 30 years ago. It was claimed the Anglican Church knew of complaints against Sharwood before he was convicted but absolved him. Archbishop Philip Aspinall was unavailable for comment but Bishop John Parkes said strict guidelines were in place to safeguard parishioners. “We accept that historically there are things that we could have done better, but we are as strict and as diligent as we can possibly be to make the church a safe place,” he said. However, he did say there was a concern that not all parishioners had been made aware of Sharwood’s past.

Child abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston said Sharwood’s decision to remain in the choir indicated he was still a danger to the children. “They are placing him in temptation,” Ms Johnston said.

Note: Clare has given permission to reproduce her online material here.