The Catholic Church attempted to reopen a highly controversial legal loophole that stopped it being sued by victims of sexual abuse for millions of dollars in damages, an ABC investigation can reveal.

Warning: This story contains details of alleged child sex abuse that may distress some audience members.

The "Ellis defence" was a legal loophole that held the church could not be sued because it did not exist as a legal entity.

The Victorian government closed this loophole in 2018 after it was condemned by the child sexual abuse royal commission.

Now, the Catholic Church has to nominate a person to act as a representative when sued, and in Melbourne, that person is Archbishop Peter Comensoli.

He is not accused of any wrongdoing.

But the church sought to revive the "Ellis defence" in

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