Following their 2018 General Synod / Te Hīnota Whānui the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ, and Polynesia joined forces with the Catholic Church to push the government to broaden its terms of reference into its Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care to include church related bodies and its agencies. Conveying that message in a formal letter to the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, Archbishop Philip Richardson and Archbishop Winston Halapua urged them to consider the letter seriously.
That challenge was duly accepted and one year on, the voices of survivors / victims have been heard throughout the Commission’s Hearings. The Anglican Church worked directly with the Royal Commission and actively encouraged all its partners to fully cooperate with the process. Last year Archbishop Philip was interviewed by Newshub (at 4.45min) and confirmed that the churches welcomed the scrutiny and independence of the Commission and that it was ‘inconceivable’ to think that there has not been some abuse in faith-based institutions.
Ultimately, we hope to contribute to a process of accountability, closure, and healing that embraces the core Gospel message that ‘the truth shall set you free.’
For more information about the Royal Commission see the national website Abuse in Care.