The Catholic Church has released the names of 29 Melbourne priests who it acknowledges are guilty of sexually abusing children.

Last week the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, told Victoria's child abuse inquiry the church had paid compensation to the victims of 59 priests who had worked in the archdiocese.

The church revealed the names of 29 of those priests on Thursday, including repeat offenders Desmond Gannon and Michael Glennon.

Priests named by Catholic Church: Anthony Bongiorno, John Byrne, Peter Chalk, David Daniel, Bernard Day, Anthony Eames, Nazareno Fasciale, Desmond Gannon, Michael Glennon, Jack Gubbels, Barry Gwillim, Penn Jones, Bernie Mackin, Terry Merivale, Syd Morey, John O'Callaghan, Kevin O'Donnell, Tom O'Keefe, Paul Pavlou, Dominic Phillips, Ronald Pickering, Terrence Pidoto, Victor Rubeo, Peter Searson, Ray Whitehouse. The ABC has chosen not to publish the names of four priests for legal reasons.

However, it says it will not name the remaining 30 priests because several were dead when allegations were made and they did not have a chance to respond.

The church is also withholding the names of priests who were not charged after police investigations.

Meanwhile, Victorian detectives have applied to question convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale about more allegations of child sexual abuse.

The 79-year-old, who is one of Australia's worst paedophile priests, is serving a prison sentence for abusing children between the 1960s and 1980s.

Ridsdale has a hearing before the Victoria's adult parole board within the next month, but detectives have successfully applied to the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to interview him over abuse committed in the 60s and 70s.

In 1994, Ridsdale pleaded guilty to sexual abuse against 21 children. Seven years ago he was sentenced again over another 35 charges.