The former Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, who was convicted but later acquitted on charges of covering up child sex abuse in NSW, has died aged 70.
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He had suffered a series of health issues in recent years, including cancer, but his death was unexpected, the church said on Sunday.
"We know that Philip was much loved by people across the country, but especially in the places he served - in Maitland-Newcastle, in Wollongong and here in Adelaide," the serving Archbishop of Adelaide Patrick O'Regan said.
"He made major contributions to the church and the wider communities in which he ministered."
The current archbishop said while his predecessor had been charged with failing to respond adequately to allegations of child sexual abuse while a priest in the NSW Hunter region, he was acquitted of all charges.
"A harrowing period of allegations, charges, conviction and eventually acquittal was a significant chapter on Philip's life, but his record of supporting and advocating on behalf of victims and survivors is part of his legacy," Archbishop O'Regan said.
"Philip knew what pain many people had endured and suffered as a result of the sickening actions of some within the church.
"He was part of the solution, and widely recognised as such."
In 2018, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions elected not to appeal the decision of District Court Judge Roy Ellis who quashed former Archbishop Wilson's conviction for covering up child sex abuse by a member of the clergy.
At his earlier trial, prosecutors argued Wilson was told by two altar boys in 1976 that they had been abused by pedophile priest James Fletcher in the NSW Hunter region.
It was alleged he subsequently failed to go to the police after Fletcher was arrested in 2004 for abusing another boy.
A magistrate convicted the senior cleric but District Court Judge Ellis later ordered he be discharged.
The judge said there was a reasonable doubt whether Wilson remembered being told about the abuse in 1976 or believed the victim had been preyed upon by Fletcher.
He said suspicion was not a substitute for proof.
Born in the Hunter region, Philip Wilson studied at St Columba's College in Springwood and at St Patrick's College in Manly before being ordained a priest of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
He became Bishop of Wollongong in 1996, and was seen as an important figure in introducing reforms to help the Catholic Church respond to the issue of child sexual abuse.
In 2001, he was appointed Archbishop of Adelaide, a post he held until his resignation in 2018.
He served as president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference for two terms, from 2006 to 2010.
Australian Associated Press
