I am ashamed and disgusted as I watch the stories of abuse and cover ups come to light, physically sickened. These are facts, it really did happen.

Abuse within the Catholic Church continued because the leaders at the time made deliberate choices that allowed it.

Every report not handed to police was a choice.

Every moving of suspect clergy and employees to a new location was a deliberate choice. Every concerned priest and bishop who bowed to the will of the hierarchy and brotherhood before obeying the laws of our nation and our God made a choice to do so.

All clergy and community who participated in or knew about these proceedings are accountable and responsible to some degree.

Where are the bishops and priests who knew of these crimes?

I want to know what you did to stop it. I want to know who you told and what they did about it.

Not only for justice to be appropriately served, but to address every single legislative and organisational gap that allowed these criminals to continue. You have to pick apart what happened and how it happened, to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Clergy and church officials seem to huddle together indignant, complaining about "persecution by media". Persecution is what Christ suffered on the cross. Persecution is Jews in gas chambers. Persecution is what the Church did to these victims who went to the church for help. You are just being held to account.

Enough complaining about unbalanced media accounts - also a deliberate choice made by church leaders every time they "decline to comment". This information is a blessing - we are being forced to purge our Father's house. Good.

I am not great on bible quotes, but I think constantly now of the story of Jesus driving the traders from the temple in Jerusalem: "This is my father's house ... you have made it a hideout for thieves". The criminals hidden by our church in our lifetime are far worse than thieves.

And about the victims whose stories we are now hearing - these men and women are brave and strong. The courage it takes to live through abuse must be immense.

Yet, decades later, they are still standing, still speaking out - to make sure it stops. Their strength should shame the Catholic Church leaders who let them down. What things to survive. These people are not victims anymore, they are the very bravest of warriors. God bless them.

Fiona Cain-McAliece

Leeton