ADVOCATES for clerical abuse survivors are questioning the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle's apparent silence around the death of paedophile priest Vincent Ryan.
Clergy Abused Network co-founder and chairperson Robert O'Toole said Diocesan Administrator Father Greg Barker told him last Wednesday that Ryan, 84, had been in poor health and died three or four weeks ago.
Mr O'Toole said he contacted about five people who were - or are related to - victims of Ryan's abuse.
He said none knew - or had been contacted by the diocese - about Ryan's death and it "came as a great shock".
One was silent, he said, while another became tearful.
"There's been no notification, which is I think pretty ordinary," Mr O'Toole said.
"I think it is noteworthy. I assume every Catholic in the diocese would have heard of Vincent Ryan, a pretty notorious abuser, but I'm not surprised it hasn't been publicised... this is true to form as far as I'm concerned and it's something I believe the diocese would have a responsibility to let their congregation know that he's passed away."
The diocese was contacted for comment.
"It came as a shock to them that they weren't advised of his death," he said.
"I think it would have been a courtesy to let them know, it should not be up to me to tell them.
"People get emotionally disturbed about these things, it brings back and triggers things for them and you've got to be cautious with that and be mindful they may react badly."
Mr O'Toole said it didn't make sense why Ryan was never laicised, or defrocked.
He said Ryan's death may "possibly" bring closure and some would "breathe a sigh of relief", despite him "taking some secrets to the grave, probably".
"I'm not emotionally disturbed that he's died, I'm a bit ambivalent really - the man was a criminal for sure."
Audrey Nash - whose son Andrew died by suicide following suspected abuse - "can't say I'm very sorry with all the damage he did to the hundreds of children in our diocese".
"Nobody up here knows about it, maybe the diocese didn't want to put out a notice because it would bring it all back again, I suppose, to a lot of people."
