Pope Francis has this evening accepted Archbishop Philip Wilson’s resignation as Archbishop of Adelaide. His decision to resign comes after widespread mounting pressure following his conviction for failing to report allegations of child sexual abuse that occurred in the 1970s.
The 67-year-old will continue his appeal over his conviction and sentence to 12 months home detention with a non-parole period of six months.
The former Archbishop wrote to his parishioners in the Adelaide Archdiocese today saying he hoped his resignation would be a “catalyst to heal pain and distress” and that his resignation was “not requested”.
He was convicted in May of concealing child sexual abuse perpetrated by deceased priest James Fletcher in the 1970s in the NSW Hunter region.
He is currently being assessed for suitability for home detention.