Today, mgr. Philip Wilson decided to resign from his position as the archbishop of Adelaide, following yesterday’s verdict from a New South Wales Court. The news has been relayed by the president of the Australian Bishops Conference, mgr. Mark Coleridge, who immediately added: “We, his bishop brothers, believe that archbishop Wilson’s decision, though difficult, is appropriate in the circumstances. Our prayers go out to all those who suffered the impact of this long lawsuit, including the survivors who have shared their stories, as well as to the archdiocese of Adelaide and to archbishop Wilson himself”. So, a sad page adds up to the scandals experienced in the Australian Church. Wilson has been sentenced for having covered up the sex abuse committed on four children by priest James Fletcher since the Seventies, when both worked in the Australian diocese of Maitland. The decision was announced yesterday in a 59-page verdict issued by Judge Robert Stone in the Court of Newcastle. The resignation was not announced by archbishop Philip Wilson but by the president of the Australian Bishops Conference. Wilson’s only statement was made yesterday. “I am obviously disappointed at the decision”, says a release from the archdiocese of Adelaide: “Now, I will have to consider the reasons and consult my lawyers to establish what to do next. I don’t think I will make any further comment at this stage”.