A joint statement from Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, President, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Father Peter Jones OSA, President, Catholic Religious Australia

In light of the recent announcement from Catholic Church Insurance (CCI), the Catholic Church in Australia wishes to assure both the Catholic and wider community that it remains fully committed to continuing to engage with survivors of abuse to meet all our legal obligations. We will do this according to the principles of justice and compassion.

The Church is also working closely with all Catholic ministries currently affiliated with CCI to ensure continuity of general insurance cover.

The Catholic Church is deeply sorry for the abuse that has occurred in the Church. The bishops and the leaders of religious institutes are united in pursuing concrete ways to repair wrongdoings, including through the payment of compensation, and to bring some healing, where that is possible.

The bishops and the leaders of religious institutes have been working for many years to ensure abuse claims are handled fairly, whether cases are covered by insurance policies or not. This will continue to be the case.