Former governor-general Peter Hollingworth dead at 91
Former governor general Peter Hollingworth, who resigned over his stance on child sexual abuse in the Anglican Church, has died.
Dr Hollingworth, who devoted much of his life to tackling poverty, served as Anglican archbishop of Brisbane for 11 years from 1990.
He died on Tuesday at the age of 91.
Appointed governor general by former Liberal prime minister John Howard in 2001, Dr Hollingworth used his position to advocate for Indigenous rights and disadvantaged people.
But he spent less than two years in the post before being forced to resign.
In 2003, a panel of inquiry into the handling of sexual abuse complaints in the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane investigated Dr. It found Hollingworth failed to act on knowledge of the abuse.
She allowed two priests, Donald Shearman and John Elliot, to stay in the church even though she knew they were sexually assaulting her children.
A church investigation in 2023 found he committed misconduct by allowing pedophiles to remain in the church, but said he remained fit for ministry.
Dr Hollingworth accepted the findings of the inquiry, saying he had “made mistakes and I can’t take them back” but said he had not committed any offence.
In a statement on Tuesday, Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Jeremy Greaves said the church’s Dr. He said he expressed his condolences to Hollingworth’s family.
“The Anglican Church of Southern Queensland acknowledges with deep regret the past failures of the church,” he said.
“(He) apologizes unreservedly to those who have suffered harassment, distress, isolation, and harm caused by the church’s failure to respond with honesty and care when it was needed most.”
Dr Hollingworth was named Australian of the Year in 1991.
He announced in 2023 that he would no longer work as an Anglican priest to “end the distress” of the survivors.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
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