Fr Hans Zollner speaking tour makes an impact across Australia

28 February 2025
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Fr Zollner addressing an audience at Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane. Photo: Archdiocese of Brisbane.
Fr Hans Zollner SJ at Catholic Religious Australia safeguarding event. Photo: Catholic Religious Australia
Guests at the fundraising lunch for Cardinal Mykola Bychok's Appeal for Ukraine with guest speaker Fr Hans Zollner SJ. Photo: Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Melbourne Eparchy
Attendees at the Safeguarding Symposium hosted by the Diocese of Wagga Wagga. Photo: Diocese of Wagga Wagga.
Fr Hans Zollner (centre) with Vice Chancellor of ACU Professor Zlatko Skrbis (left) and Professor Daryl Higgins, Director of the Insitute of Child Protection Studies at an event hosted by the Institute of Child Protection Studies at ACU Melbourne. Photo: Insitute of Child Protection Studies, ACU
From left: Dr David Treanor ACSL; Fr Hans Zollner; Mary-Ann Carver, Principal Policy and Projects Officer at the Archdiocese of Adelaide and John Karoubas, manager of Professional Standards at the Archdiocese of Adelaide. Photo: Archdiocese of Adelaide.
Fr Zollner addresses an audience at ACU Canberra. Photo: Institute of Child Protection Studies, ACU
Ms Lynn Bell, Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking and Fr Hans Zollner
ACSL CEO Dr Ursula Stephens, Fr Hans Zollner, Director of Professional Standards at the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Maria Hicks and Archbishop Chirstopher Prowse
Fr Hans Zollner, ACSL CEO Dr Ursula Stephens and former Ambassador to the Holy See Ms Chiara Porro

Earlier this month ACSL was honoured to co-host world renowned safeguarding expert Fr Hans Zollner SJ on his Australian speaking tour.

The tour was also sponsored by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Catholic Religious Australia and Australian Catholic University.

Over early February almost 1200 people attended a seminar, workshop, event or webinar with Fr Zollner to hear the message that while much is being done to safeguard children and adults at risk in the Church, there is much more that can be done to share knowledge and resources, and a lot more that the Church must do to address its past failings.

Touching down in Brisbane on the first leg of his speaking tour, Fr Zollner addressed an audience of clergy and safeguarding professionals from Queensland dioceses at Holy Spirit Seminary in Banyo.

He emphasised that the abuse crisis will not ‘just go away’ and positioned safeguarding as integral to God’s mission.

Next up was a three-day stopover in Sydney, where Fr Zollner was the keynote speaker at a sold-out fundraising lunch co-hosted by ACSL to raise funds for Cardinal Mykola Bychok’s Appeal for Ukraine.

At the lunch, Fr Zollner drew attention to the increased safeguarding risks facing children and vulnerable people displaced by conflict.

Also in Sydney Fr Zollner presented at a similarly packed safeguarding community of practice event hosted by Catholic Religious Australia, where he was joined by Office of the Children’s Guardian Steve Kinmond and a range of religious leaders to share their experiences and insights into safeguarding.

Moving south to Canberra, in between meetings with Australian government officials and key Church stakeholders, Fr Zollner presented at a breakfast forum hosted by ACU in Canberra.

The event commemorated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Child Protection Studies at ACU, and Fr Zollner took the opportunity to highlight the important work of the institute, noting that it is one of the few dedicated centres at universities focusing on this issue.

Inland in Wagga Wagga, a safeguarding symposium hosted by the Diocese of Wagga Wagga brought together Fr Zollner, Office of the Children’s Guardian Steve Kinmond and Rev Jake Mudge, Director of Pastoral Work at Corpus Christi College, to focus on how we can collectively create safer communities.

In Melbourne, Fr Zollner shared his wisdom with assembled clergy from the Archdiocese of Melbourne for a workshop focusing on empowering clergy leaders and to build cultures of safety and care.

While in Melbourne Fr Zollner also delivered a public presentation at ACU Melbourne.

During this insightful presentation, some members of the audience who were survivors and family members of survivors spoke to Fr Zollner about the devastating impacts of clerical abuse on their lives.

The final stop of the tour was Adelaide, where over 150 clergy, religious and other Church personnel joined a forum and workshop hosted by the Archdiocese of Adelaide.

During the one-day forum, Fr Zollner warned that abuse will never be eradicated and that a “change of mentality” is as important as guidelines and regulations.

For those unable to join an event with Fr Zollner in person, ACSL hosted a webinar on the topic of ‘Confronting the reality of abuse’. The well-attended webinar provided the opportunity for a number of those attending to pose questions directly to Fr Zollner.

Reflecting on his visit to Australia in a video shared on LinkedIn, Fr Zollner said that he was grateful to have met with many competent and committed safeguarding professionals.

“I have also met with survivors. I am really moved by their witness and their trust to share with me their stories of pain and expectations towards the Catholic Church,” Fr Zollner said.

Fr Zollner noted three key takeaways from his tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Firstly, the importance that needs to be given to reflection on risk and protective factors for safeguarding in First Nations.

Secondly, the notion that a national church that is advanced in knowledge and resources has a “special opportunity and responsibility” to share this with other churches, in this case from Australia to our Pacific neighbours.

The final takeaway for Fr Zollner was that in a country that leans towards regulations and guidelines, there is also a need for an appropriate pedagogy to enable a change of mentality and attitudes, which is also necessary for effective safeguarding.

“Again, I am grateful for my time here.. I am sure that much can be learned and much can be done together if we listen to each other and find ways of effective collaboration all within the commitment towards a safer Church and a safer world,” Fr Zollner said.

  • Watch ACSL’s webinar with Fr Hans Zollner SJ on Confronting the Reality of Abuse: view recording.
  • During Fr Zollner’s visit to Australia he also recorded a podcast with Geraldine Doogue exploring change in the Church and the new global and pastoral frontlines of safeguarding: listen to the podcast episode.