He covered a pedophile priest, an archbishop sentenced to one year's imprisonment

Archbishop Wilson arrives at Newcastle Court (Ansa)

Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson ] was sentenced to 12 months in jail for covering a pedophile priest. Wilson, 64, was convicted in May by a court in Newcastle, north of Sydney . The archbishop, vice-president of the Australian Episcopal Conference, is the world's largest Christian prelate to be found guilty of this crime. He was accused of keeping secret the badual abuse of four minors by priest James Fletcher in the 1970s.

Wilson will have to serve his sentence under house arrest. However, magistrate Robert Stone updated the hearing at August 14 while the adequacy of the sentence is badessed. The Archbishop may apply for parole after six months

Wilson was convicted of having committed serious and secretive crimes, namely the badual abuse of four minors by priest James Fletcher as soon as the 1970s, while they both served in the diocese of Maitland.

Fletcher died in prison at the age of 65, in 2006, a year after being sentenced to nearly eight years for abusing a 13-year-old boy between 1989 and 1991.

The Australian Catholic Bishops, in a statement issued by the Episcopal Conference, recognize that "the effects of badual abuse can last a lifetime," but hope that "the prison sentence of today will not be the same." He brings a sense of peace and healing to those who have been abused by the late James Fletcher ".

"There, takes a lot of courage – the bishops write – for the survivors to come forward to tell their stories The survivors were of vital importance to help us learn the lesson of our shameful history of abuse and concealment, which was highlighted by the Royal Commission on Investigating Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and State Investigations
including the Cunneen Inquiry. "

As a result of these reports, the Australian Church – informs the Episcopal Conference -" made significant changes ] to ensure that abuse and concealment no longer part of Catholic life and that children are safe in our ] communities. We will continue to work with all those who in the Church and not only are we trying to implement [19659010] strong and consistent safeguards standards throughout Australia, including the way which we respond to allegations of badual abuse . "