A Roman Catholic archbishop in Australia has failed for the second time to stop a criminal prosecution against him over allegations he covered up for a pedophile priest in the 1970s.

Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson was charged in April last year with concealing a serious child sexual abuse offence in 1971. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a potential two-year prison sentence.

New South Wales state Supreme Court Justice Monika Schmidt on Friday rejected Wilson's bid to have the charge dropped.

The judge dismissed his appeal against a court decision in February to not stop the proceedings. That decision ruled that elements of the charge may be able to be proved.