An English Catholic Archbishop who's just been appointed to one of the highest positions in the Vatican by Pope Francis was recently named in UN report which cr
Liverpool priest, Archbishop Paul Gallaghe, 60, is set to be Secretary for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, making him the first English priest to take up the post.
The position, effectively Foreign Minister for the Holy See, involves the specific duty of attending to matters which involve civil governments.
His appointment comes despite being mentioned by United Nations Committee Against Torture earlier this year when he was responsible for dealing with requests from foreign governments for documents relating sex and abuse allegations.
The report suggests as papal nuncio to Australia he tried to withhold documents from a state inquiry in News South Wales that was authorised by the Queen.
At the time he told the inquiry seeking the documents from the Vatican that "it would not be appropriote to seek internal communitcation" covered by immunity under the 1961 Vienna Convention.
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Article by Desmond Busteed
Desmond Busteed is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
