But the former Riverina priest said forcing the Catholic Church to break the sacred seal of confession would not help catch those responsible. 

In a letter to the editor, Father Schipp backed the Catholic Church rejection of the royal commission's recommendation to lift the seal of confession regarding child sex abuse.

He wanted to be clear the reason for this had nothing to do with being in denial about the action of clergy in the past. 

If given the green light, legislation will force priests to share any knowledge about child sex offences, told to them in confession, to authorities. 

But Father Schipp said in his almost 50 years within the clergy, no priest had ever admitted to being a paedophile. 

“That’s the reality of any addiction,” Father Schipp said. “If they were sincerely repentant, they would know it was a serious crime, and they would turn themselves in to police.”

Across the entire inquiry into Catholic Church, there was only one priest who had confessed to child sex offences, according to Father Schipp, and that had been made by a convicted clergyman, who was already serving time in jail.

Father Schipp said it was part of the psychology of addictive behaviour.

 “There is a presumption priests would confess to these sins in confessional,” he said. “But for them to be doing these things, they have to be in compete and utter denial.” 

He said it was the same with alcoholics, drug addicts and anyone with an addiction. 

"There’s this rationalisation that people have,” he said. “There’s a part of their mind that tells them: ‘It’s okay for me’ for whatever reason. But in order to receive forgiveness, they have to be genuine, sincere and repentant.”

He said no law of the land, forcing the clergy to lift the seal of forgiveness – something which was sacred – would be approved by Rome and would never be respected by priests.