Philip Edward Wilson
Encyclopedia
Philip Edward Wilson, DD
, D.Litt
(honoris causa) (born 10 October 1950 in Cessnock
, New South Wales
) is an Australian prelate. Wilson is the eighth Roman Catholic Archbishop
of Adelaide
, appointed in 2001 and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference since 2006.
Wilson served as a priest in what is now the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
. After serving as Vicar-General of that diocese and studying in the United States, Wilson was elected as Bishop of the Diocese of Wollongong
, where he gained a reputation as a "healing bishop" for handling child-abuse scandals.
. In 1974, he received a Bachelor of Theology
from the Catholic Institute of Sydney.
of East Maitland, New South Wales, where he served as an assistant Priest, an experience he referred to as a "wonderful highlight of my career." During 1977 and 1978 he undertook studies in Religious Education
in New York
, and then in 1978, he returned to Australia where he was appointed Director of Religious Education in the Diocese of Maitland (now the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle). After being appointed parish priest of Maitland in 1983, Wilson was promoted to Vicar-General, Diocesan Management and Administration in 1987. From 1990 to 1995, Wilson studied canon law in Washington D.C., where he received a Licentiate of Canon Law
, and was made a Prelate of Honour
by Pope John Paul II
.
, and on 10 July, he was consecrated by Cardinal Edward Clancy. At the age of 45, this made Wilson the youngest Catholic bishop in Australia.
During his time as Bishop of Wollongong, Wilson was tasked with dealing with an alleged culture of inadequate responses to child abuse by clergy within the diocese. Wilson's predecessor, Bishop Murray, had been criticised during public hearings of the Wood Royal Commission for not acting on allegations of sexual misconduct within the diocese, and had admitted publicly that he did not know how to deal with them. Upon the delivery of the findings of the Wood Commission, Wilson issued a formal apology to the victims of abuse by clergy within the diocese.
of Adelaide
, in anticipation of the retirement of Leonard Faulkner
, who was Archbishop of Adelaide at the time. At 50 years old, this appointment made Wilson the youngest Catholic Archbishop in Australia. The announcement of Wilson's promotion brought praise for the Bishop from public figures in Wollongong, with the Lord Mayor
saying he had "...played a leading role in restoring the credibility of the Catholic Church here." Archbishop Faulkner described him as "...a very pastoral man and a man of the people and very gifted academically."
Wilson's welcome mass, held in Adelaide's St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
on 1 February 2001, was the first mass in Australia to be broadcast on the internet, recording a reported 40,000 views. Wilson spend most of 2001 learning about the archdiocese while acting as coadjutor, and was installed at a mass held on 3 December, which was attended by about 35 bishops, more than 200 priests and the Governor of South Australia Marjorie Jackson-Nelson. He celebrated Mass for the first time in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide on 9 December 2001.
In 2002, Wilson became the first Australian archbishop to be invited to address a session of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
. The session was held in the wake of an emergency meeting between American bishops and Pope John Paul II regarding the sex-abuse crisis within the Church. Wilson was chosen to address the conference because of his experience dealing with clerical crimes while bishop of Wollongong.
(ABC), "McAlinden was ... transferred to a remote parish in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
. Over the next decade he sexually assaulted five more girls under the age of 10". In 1995, Wilson was again asked by bishop Leo Clarke
to deal with the case, requesting that he take statements from the alleged victims. Wilson took the statements and returned them to the bishop. ABC reported that the statements were never provided to police, and instead, Clarke defrocked McAlinden, with the promise "that his 'good name' would be protected". In addition, in an statement to ABC, Wilson said he told Clarke that McAlinden should have been confronted in 1985 and, that as far as he was aware, this had occurred. He also denied involvement in McAlinden's transfer to Western Australia or his defrocking.
The second set of allegations were revealed by the ABC's Lateline
program in mid-May 2010. A victim of convicted paedophile James Fletcher (a priest in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese) alleged that Wilson should have been aware of, and did not act upon, Fletcher's sexually assaulting him. According to the ABC, "[The victim said] Archbishop Philip Wilson was a priest living in the bishop's house in Maitland when Fletcher was also living there in the late 1970s, and that Philip Wilson should have been aware that he was being sexually abused in Fletcher's upstairs bedroom." In response, Wilson denied having any knowledge of the assault, and stated that he had not been living in the house at the time, but in a flat behind the residence.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, D.Litt
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
(honoris causa) (born 10 October 1950 in Cessnock
Cessnock, New South Wales
Cessnock is a city in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road west of Newcastle. It is the administrative centre of the Cessnock City Council LGA and was named after an 1826 grant of land called Cessnock Estate, which was owned by John Campbell...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
) is an Australian prelate. Wilson is the eighth Roman Catholic Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Adelaide
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia....
, appointed in 2001 and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference since 2006.
Wilson served as a priest in what is now the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1847, initially as the Diocese of Maitland, and then changed to the current name in 1995...
. After serving as Vicar-General of that diocese and studying in the United States, Wilson was elected as Bishop of the Diocese of Wollongong
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1951, covering the Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
, where he gained a reputation as a "healing bishop" for handling child-abuse scandals.
Early life
Wilson was born on to Joan and John Wilson, the eldest of five children, and received his primary and secondary education from St. Patrick's Primary School, Cessnock, and St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. By his mid-teens, Wilson had decided to enter the priesthood, and on his completion of high school, at the age of 18, he entered St Patrick's Seminary, ManlySt Patrick's Seminary, Manly
St Patrick's Seminary, Manly was the leading seminary of the Australian Catholic Church from its foundation in 1889 to its closure in 1995.Conceived by Archbishop Vaughan, it was built from 1885 in Perpendicular Gothic style by Sheerin and Hennessy on a spectacular site overlooking the Pacific...
. In 1974, he received a Bachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology is a three to five year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek or Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics and Christian ministry...
from the Catholic Institute of Sydney.
Priesthood
Following his ordination in 1975, Fr. Philip Wilson's first posting was to the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of East Maitland, New South Wales, where he served as an assistant Priest, an experience he referred to as a "wonderful highlight of my career." During 1977 and 1978 he undertook studies in Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and then in 1978, he returned to Australia where he was appointed Director of Religious Education in the Diocese of Maitland (now the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle). After being appointed parish priest of Maitland in 1983, Wilson was promoted to Vicar-General, Diocesan Management and Administration in 1987. From 1990 to 1995, Wilson studied canon law in Washington D.C., where he received a Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
, and was made a Prelate of Honour
Honorary Prelate
An Honorary Prelate of His Holiness is a priest to whom the Pope has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards ecclesiastical dress...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
Bishop of Wollongong
In 1996, Wilson was appointed to replace Bishop William Murray as Bishop of WollongongRoman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1951, covering the Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
, and on 10 July, he was consecrated by Cardinal Edward Clancy. At the age of 45, this made Wilson the youngest Catholic bishop in Australia.
During his time as Bishop of Wollongong, Wilson was tasked with dealing with an alleged culture of inadequate responses to child abuse by clergy within the diocese. Wilson's predecessor, Bishop Murray, had been criticised during public hearings of the Wood Royal Commission for not acting on allegations of sexual misconduct within the diocese, and had admitted publicly that he did not know how to deal with them. Upon the delivery of the findings of the Wood Commission, Wilson issued a formal apology to the victims of abuse by clergy within the diocese.
Archbishop of Adelaide
In November 2000, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Wilson to the position of coadjutor ArchbishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Adelaide
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia....
, in anticipation of the retirement of Leonard Faulkner
Leonard Faulkner
Leonard Anthony Faulkner is an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman, and was the seventh Archbishop of Adelaide. Born in rural South Australia, Faulkner served as an Adelaide parish priest and Bishop of Townsville before being appointed Archbishop of Adelaide in 1985...
, who was Archbishop of Adelaide at the time. At 50 years old, this appointment made Wilson the youngest Catholic Archbishop in Australia. The announcement of Wilson's promotion brought praise for the Bishop from public figures in Wollongong, with the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
saying he had "...played a leading role in restoring the credibility of the Catholic Church here." Archbishop Faulkner described him as "...a very pastoral man and a man of the people and very gifted academically."
Wilson's welcome mass, held in Adelaide's St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Adelaide, South Australia is the Roman Catholic cathedral in that city. It is classified as being a Gothic Revival building in the Early English style. The tower stands 36 m high and is 56.5 m lengthwise and 29.5 m horizontally. The foundation stone...
on 1 February 2001, was the first mass in Australia to be broadcast on the internet, recording a reported 40,000 views. Wilson spend most of 2001 learning about the archdiocese while acting as coadjutor, and was installed at a mass held on 3 December, which was attended by about 35 bishops, more than 200 priests and the Governor of South Australia Marjorie Jackson-Nelson. He celebrated Mass for the first time in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide on 9 December 2001.
In 2002, Wilson became the first Australian archbishop to be invited to address a session of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
. The session was held in the wake of an emergency meeting between American bishops and Pope John Paul II regarding the sex-abuse crisis within the Church. Wilson was chosen to address the conference because of his experience dealing with clerical crimes while bishop of Wollongong.
Alleged mishandling of sexual abuse of children
In May 2010, Wilson came under pressure regarding two incidents relating to sexual abuse in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. The first of these cases related to the alleged sexual assault of two girls by Father Dennis McAlinden, a priest in the diocese, in 1985. Wilson, the diocese's Vicar General at the time, was sent to speak to parents at the school where the assault was alleged to have taken place. The principal told the media, Wilson's response was to remove McLindon from his position and provide help for him. In fact, according to the Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC), "McAlinden was ... transferred to a remote parish in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Over the next decade he sexually assaulted five more girls under the age of 10". In 1995, Wilson was again asked by bishop Leo Clarke
Leo Clarke
Leo Clarke, VC was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:...
to deal with the case, requesting that he take statements from the alleged victims. Wilson took the statements and returned them to the bishop. ABC reported that the statements were never provided to police, and instead, Clarke defrocked McAlinden, with the promise "that his 'good name' would be protected". In addition, in an statement to ABC, Wilson said he told Clarke that McAlinden should have been confronted in 1985 and, that as far as he was aware, this had occurred. He also denied involvement in McAlinden's transfer to Western Australia or his defrocking.
The second set of allegations were revealed by the ABC's Lateline
Lateline
Lateline is an Australian television news and current affairs program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, airing weeknights at on ABC1. The program has developed a reputation for head-to-head debates on current issues and political interviews. Lateline is followed by its sister...
program in mid-May 2010. A victim of convicted paedophile James Fletcher (a priest in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese) alleged that Wilson should have been aware of, and did not act upon, Fletcher's sexually assaulting him. According to the ABC, "[The victim said] Archbishop Philip Wilson was a priest living in the bishop's house in Maitland when Fletcher was also living there in the late 1970s, and that Philip Wilson should have been aware that he was being sexually abused in Fletcher's upstairs bedroom." In response, Wilson denied having any knowledge of the assault, and stated that he had not been living in the house at the time, but in a flat behind the residence.