She instigated the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse, which is currently hearing testimonies from the Catholic Church.

In Catholic teaching there exists the "sensus fidelium", the sense of the faithful. 

What the Vatican needs to note is that many thousands of Australian Catholics are incensed; incensed by the sexual abuse, and the absence of compassion, mercy and justice shown by senior clerics. 

The faith and lives of many have been violated. 

The Pope must demand resignations: he must act. 

Dear Pope, your Church in Australia is sick and the cancer is in the clericalism that refuses to listen to the laity. 

Cardinal Pell may well be in Rome, but his influence in the Australian Church has metastasized.

The Church is supposedly of this world, and strives to be counter-cultural to bring forth gospel values, yet it is estranged from society and societal values: transparency, accountability and due process are not promoted or esteemed and certainly not practised. 

I urge the Pope to show mercy, exact justice and take the lead in compensating victims and healing the people of our Australian Church.

What's your opinion?

Do you have some thoughts on this issue? Click here to send a letter to the editor.

Preference is given to letters of no more than 350 words.