A LETTER from the Archbishop of Adelaide, who has been convicted of covering-up sex crimes, has caused a stir after being sent out to catholic schools across South Australia.

A parent whose children attend Mary McKillop school in Penola, shared a copy of the letter with news.com.au in which archbishop Philip Wilson asks recipients to “pray” for him following the guilty verdict.

Wilson was convicted on Tuesday for concealing the sexual abuse of two altar boys by a paedophile priest in the 1970s.

The 67-year-old was released on bail and faces a prison term of up to two years when he is sentenced next month.

A mother, who wishes to remain nameless, said the letter was sent home with her primary school aged children on Wednesday.

She told news.com.au that she was “disgusted” by the letter, claiming that it shows the archbishop as “no remorse” for the crimes he has been found guilty of.

“All other parents I’ve talked to are appalled at the lack of remorse, and lack of empathy towards the victims,” she said.

She added that sending the note home with children was also “concerning”.

The letter starts off with Wilson announcing his decision to stand down on Friday due to his recent conviction.

“As you are aware, on Tuesday I was found guilty of an offence in the Newcastle Local Court,” he wrote.

“As a result, I have found it necessary to stand aside from my duties as Archbishop.”

He then goes on to list the “great things” the archdiocese has done.

“We have achieved great things in all facets of the life of the Archdiocese, including our parishes, schools, social services, health and in aged care,” he wrote.

“I want to assure you that all of these essential pastoral aspects of the life of the Archdiocese will not be affected by my standing aside.”

“While the legal process runs its course, I want to assure the Catholic faithful in the Archdiocese of my continued prayers and best wishes.”

Wilson signed off the letter by asking recipients to: “Please continue to pray for me”.

The Director of Catholic Education SA, Dr Neil McGoran, said that the letter was sent purely to inform the catholic community about the archbishop’s decision.

“The purpose of the pastoral letter from Archbishop Wilson to communities, including school communities, was to inform them of his decision to step aside and to reassure them that the essential pastoral aspects of the life of the Archdiocese of Adelaide would continue,” Mr McGoran said.

Archbishop Wilson is the most senior Catholic official in the world to be convicted of covering up child abuse, with the decision possibly having implications for other high-ranking officials.

Though he is standing aside from his duties, he doesn’t intend to fully resign as just yet

“If at any point in time it becomes necessary or appropriate for me to take more formal steps, including by resigning as archbishop, then I will do so,” he said in a statement.

Wilson, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease has previously denied claims that he was involved in the cover up of abuse by priest Jim Fletcher, who died in jail in 2006.

In April the archbishop declared under oath that two former alter boys never told him that they had been sexually abused by Fletcher.

He told the court he had known one of the former altar boys Peter Creigh and his family when he was an assistant priest in the NSW Hunter Region in the mid-1970s

But Wilson said he had no memory of Mr Creigh telling him in 1976 how he had been sexually abused by priest James Fletcher five years earlier, when he was 10.

However, Magistrate Robert Stone found Mr Creigh to be a “trustworthy” witness, ruling that Wilson was guilty of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person.

The archbishop has not said whether he is planning to appeal the conviction.

alexandra.foster@news.com.au