A woman molested as a five-year-old girl by a high-profile Catholic theologian is outraged at a church leader justifying his abuse.

A Catholic leader is accused of telling a woman who was attacked when she was a girl by a high-profile priest, that he was "healing himself" when he had sex.

Rangi Davis is apologising.

But this has caused more ructions for the Church with the Royal Commission on abuse, already shaken by Bishop Charles Drennan's resigning over his affair with a young woman.

Phil Pennington reports.