Leo Morris Clarke (29 August 1923 – 3 June 2006) was an Australian bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland in

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from 1976 to 1995. Following the death of Bishop John Toohey in September 1975, Clarke was ordained the sixth bishop of the diocese in June 1976 after 27 years in the

Archdiocese of Melbourne The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin Rite metropolitan archdiocese in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elev ...

, where he served as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and the Master of Ceremonies at St Patrick's Cathedral under

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Daniel Mannix Daniel Patrick Mannix (4 March 1864 – 6 November 1963) was an Irish-born Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th-century Australia. Early years and Maynoo ...

. As bishop, Clarke was instrumental in implementing a program of renewal the diocesan community. He initiated the

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

of 1992–93, a sustained consultation process involving clergy and laity coming to grips with the issues raised by the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

. His major rationalisation of Newcastle's Catholic secondary schools was controversial at the time and caused him enormous pain. His successor, Bishop Michael Malone, told the Hunter Commission of Inquiry that when Clarke handed over the office to him, he slid a large ornamental cross across the desk and pointed to a "rather large briefcase that sat in the corner of his office". Malone asked Clarke if he was going to show him "where the skeletons are, where the secret things are?" but Clarke merely responded "Ah you will find out soon enough." After his resignation in 1996, he became Bishop

Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of Maitland-Newcastle.

Child sexual abuse scandal

During his time as Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Clarke concealed the sexual crimes of abusive priests in the diocese, including Denis McAlinden, James Fletcher, David O'Hearn and Vincent Ryan. Monsignor Patrick Cotter had warned Clarke that Father McAlinden had a predilection for touching young girls. McAlinden continued to abuse children until 1993, when Clarke brought Father Brian Lucas in to convince McAlinden to resign. Neither Clarke nor Lucas reported McAlinden to the police. In 1996, Clarke and Cotter were interviewed by

NSW Police The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...

in relation to the sexual abuse of children by Father Vincent Ryan. A brief of evidence, recommending Cotter be prosecuted for concealing a serious crime, was sent to the

Director of Public Prosecutions The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...

. The case against Cotter never proceeded due to his age. and Clarke died in 2006. In 2016, Bishop Michael Malone told the

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a royal commission announced in November 2012 and established in 2013 by the Government of Australia, Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 t ...

that Clarke had told him that Ryan had "offended many times". Clarke had sent Ryan for therapy in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and returned to ministry without any supervision. Malone said Clarke did not reveal a great deal more about Ryan's offending but conceded the bishop and church had covered-up Ryan's abuse of children for decades. The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has acknowledged the failures of leadership, including Clarke and Cotter, in concealing child sexual abuse, failing to protect children and inadequate pastoral care to survivors of clerical abuse. The diocese offered a public apology to the Special Commission of Inquiry in 2013 and Bishop Wright read a statement of apology and admitted past failings during the 2014 sitting of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. In 2020, in advance of the broadcast of ABC's series ''

Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...

'', Bishop William Wright ordered the removal of a plaque in Maitland Cathedral celebrating the life of Clarke.

Bibliography

References

External links

Catholic Hierarchy listing for Bishop Clarke
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Leo 1923 births 2006 deaths Roman Catholic bishops of Maitland-Newcastle Maitland, New South Wales 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia