Former governor-general dies at the age of 91

Former Governor General and retired Anglican Bishop Peter Hollingworth has died aged 91.

Hollingsworth was the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane for eleven years from 1990.

He served as governor general between 2001 and 2003 and resigned amid controversy over his handling of child abuse in the church.

The Anglican Church of Southern Queensland said in a statement it had offered its condolences to Hollingworth’s family and acknowledged with “deep regret the church’s past shortcomings”.

“In 2003, a commission of inquiry into the handling of sexual abuse complaints in the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane found that Hollingworth, as archbishop, failed to act on knowledge of sexual abuse and allowed two clergy to remain in the church despite knowing they had sexually abused children,” the church said.

“The inquiry committee also found that Bishop Hollingworth had not dealt with a complaint by Beth Heinrich about Donald Shearman’s conduct ‘fairly, reasonably or appropriately’.

“The Anglican Church of South Queensland acknowledges with deep regret the shortcomings of the Church in the past.

“The Anglican Church of Southern Queensland apologizes unreservedly to those who have suffered abuse, fear, isolation and harm caused by the Church’s failure to respond with integrity and care when it was needed most.”

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