The late bishop, Ronald Mulkearns, who was blamed for allowing pedophile priests to continue to operate in Victoria, has reportedly left his $2.1 million estate to the Catholic Church.

The Herald Sun says Bishop Mulkearns, who died in April, said the money was to be used by the current bishop of Ballarat for the benefit of the diocese “at his absolute discretion”.

“His assets should be distributed to victims whose lives have been destroyed and damaged by his actions,” Ballarat abuse survivor Andrew Collins told the Herald-Sun.

Catholic priest Gerald Ridsdale, who was jailed on paedophile charges in 1994. Photo: AAP

Bishop Mulkearns told the commission he was sorry and regretted he did not deal with pedophile priests properly, saying he was trying to protect the church’s reputation and stop further offending. 

The child abuse royal commission heard Bishop Mulkearns knew pedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale and others were sexually abusing children and moved them between parishes, and he also destroyed documents in Ridsdale’s file.