Ridsdale says shouldn't have been a priest

Pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale says many of his victims could have been saved if police had known of his offending.

Pedophile Gerald Ridsdale says some victims could have been saved if police knew of his offending. (AAP)

Prolific sex abuser Gerald Francis Ridsdale says "so many others" could have been saved if a bishop who knew he was offending had gone to the police.

Ridsdale told the child abuse royal commission that he accepted that someone with his issues should not have been a priest.

He agreed he would have been stopped had a bishop who knew he was abusing children gone to police.

Commission chair Justice Peter McClellan asked Ridsdale if he accepted that someone with his issues should never have been a priest.

"Yes, I accept that now," he said.

Ridsdale said the church should have had a much more thorough screening process to stop him being a priest.

"There should have been a better screening process that was much more thorough, psychological process that was much more thorough than anything that was conducted then," he said.

Justice McClellan asked Ridsdale if his role in the church would have been ended if the bishop he first discussed his offending with had gone to police.

"It would have, and I am now sorry that it didn't; that it didn't happen," Ridsdale said.

"It would have saved so many others."

Ridsdale said he would have been removed as a priest and gone to jail had that happened.

When Ridsdale was sent to New Mexico in America in late 1989, he said two-thirds of the 30 priests in his group had pedophilia problems.

But nothing was said that they shouldn't be allowed to be priests.

"I acknowledge, your honour, that it should have been, it should have been uppermost in the minds of people but I can't remember it ever being discussed."

Justice McClellan asked Ridsdale if he accepted that once his problems were recognised the church should have ended his life as a priest.

Ridsdale replied: "Yes, Yes I do."

Ridsdale thought his treatment at New Mexico worked as he didn't offend after he returned to Australia from America in 1990.

There was a two-year period before his arrest.

"I would have had opportunities to go to shopping malls, to beaches, to anywhere, and I'm happy to say that I didn't offend in that period," Ridsdale said.