"There's something going on in the culture. And one of the elements of that cultural shift is that people are prepared to speak up in a way that they would never have done before."

An Australian missionary nun ordered by Philippine authorities to leave the country is still in danger of being deported, despite winning a reprieve from the Justice Department, said a top government official.

Such legislation would threaten Catholics' religious freedom.

The Catholic Church estimates it alone will be liable for about AU$1 billion ($757 million) in compensation.

Philip Wilson was found guilty of failing to inform police about allegations of the sexual abuse of minors by a priest in the 1970s.

Cardinal George Pell is set to stand trial on charges of sexual abuse that go back decades.