Tom Elliott says it’s ‘disgusting’ the Catholic church is planning a memorial mass for disgraced former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns.

Bishop Mulkearns died of cancer early last month.

He had previously confessed to covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests under his watch.

3AW Drive host Tom Elliott said the planned tribute showed the church still ‘didn’t get it’ when it came to admitting its wrongs of the past.

‘If a serial killer died in jail and that person just happened to have been a Catholic earlier in life, would the church have a mass in his name? I don’t think so?’ Tom Elliott said on Friday.

‘The church still protects its own.

‘I think it’s absolutely disgusting.’

Click PLAY below to hear Tom Elliott’s full editorial