A victims' group has described Cardinal George Pell's new job at the Vatican as an "escape clause".
Cardinal Pell, who will be in charge of the Vatican's coffers from next month, has come under fire for his response to cases of historic child sex abuse by priests.
He has indicated he will appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse when it sits in Sydney next month.
But Nicky Davis of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) says she believes Cardinal Pell will continue to evade facing up to the church's responsibility.
"It's absolutely no surprise that Cardinal Pell has been given a golden parachute by the Vatican to leave the jurisdiction just when things are getting hot at the royal commission," she told AAP.
"That's what a lot of survivors expected."
Ms Davis said that to survivors the appointment was "a kick in the head, a slap in the face".
"It's not a wonderful honour, it's an escape clause."
Ms Davis said she believed Cardinal Pell would keep trying to "close the purse strings to survivors" in his new job.
She said the church was not capable of facing up to its responsibilities because it was "so deeply mired in these crimes".
"I think they will need to be forced the whole way."
Broken Rites spokesman Wayne Chamley feared Cardinal Pell may want to push the Australian church's controversial Towards Healing process within the broader church.
"I get the feeling that he's been promulgating that within Vatican circles," he said.
He said a process was needed to respond to people's needs rather than what the church would like them to accept.
"As an organisation it's never been prepared to let control go from its own hands ... it's always wanted to investigate itself," Mr Chamley said.
Cardinal Pell's office has been contacted for comment.
