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A firm of Brisbane lawyers has claimed to have civil cases involving more than twenty people pending, most of which are likely to begin later this year. It is reported that the Brisbane archdiocese is faced with a $260,650 deficit partly because of legal bills and sexual assault compensation payouts.

A leading ethicist, Simon Longstaff, has expressed sympathy for Hollingworth but has said that if it becomes clear that the office of governor-general has been brought into disrepute, then Hollingworth should resign.

Hollingworth has recently met with victims of child abuse and set up a hotline through which victims can make appointments to see him, but his moves have been dismissed as "too little too late" by child protection groups. Hollingworth is also patron of the Kids First Foundation, a charity that campaigns for better protection for children.

The position of governor-general has for decades been an extremely sensitive one. In 1975, the governor-general, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Labour government of Gough Whitlam, provoking a constitutional crisis. It has recently been revealed that the Queen was not consulted about Kerr's move and would probably not have supported it had she been asked.

More recently, the campaign for Australia to become a republic has highlighted the issue of the Queen's representative acting as the head of state in a country that wishes to leave its colonial past behind. A referendum on the issue was defeated in 1999, but republicanism remains a central theme of Australian political life.

Hollingworth has been a well-known public figure in Australia for most of his career. As head of the Anglican charity the Brotherhood of Saint Laurence before his elevation to archbishop, he was for years a vigorous advocate of the poor, criticizing governments of all political colors.

As archbishop of Brisbane, he was less vocal. Some commentators described his acceptance of the governor-generalship as an abandonment of his earlier values

Copyright © 2002 ENI

Also appearing on our site today:

Australian Church's Crisis Over Sexual Assault Deepens | Former Anglican priest in New South Wales sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Related news coverage includes:

Church sued for not caring - The Courier-Mail (Jan. 23, 2002)

Tough times for Anglican church - The Australian (Jan. 21, 2002)

School hit with new sex claim - The Daily Telegram (Jan. 19, 2002)

Only a dozen calls to G-G hotline - The Age (Dec. 27, 2001)

G-G puts focus on plight of children - The Age (Dec. 26, 2001)

Church apology angers families - The Daily Telegram (Dec. 24, 2001)

Governor general of Australia in child abuse row - The Guardian, London (Dec. 23, 2001)

Haunted by the past - Sydney Morning Herald (Dec. 22, 2001)

Governor-General responds to criticism - ABC News (Dec. 20, 2001)

Sex scandal dogs Governor-General - BBC (Dec. 20, 2001)

Calls for Senate inquiry into G-G's response to child abuse claims - ABC News (Dec. 14, 2001)

Church backs Hollingworth's silence - Sydney Morning Herald (Dec. 14, 2001)

'He'll be his own man' - The Age (April 23, 2001)

A man called Peter is called - The Age (April 23, 2001)

For more articles, see Christianity Today'sWorld Report.

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January (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46