Vic Catholic education officers to testify

Four former Catholic education officials will give evidence at a further hearing into how church authorities handled child abuse complaints in the Melbourne archdiocese.

The former officers of the Catholic Education Office will appear before the child abuse royal commission in Sydney on April 27.

Cardinal George Pell has told the commission he heard about sexual misconduct allegations against Doveton parish priest Peter Searson in 1989, while a Melbourne auxiliary bishop, but was deceived by education officials who said they had been dealt with appropriately.

The former CEO officers are expected to be the final witnesses for the Melbourne archdiocese inquiry.

A separate inquiry into the Catholic Church's handling of pedophile priests in Victoria's Ballarat diocese is not due to hold any further public hearings following the death of former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns.

The 1971-1997 bishop died from cancer on April 4 before he could complete his evidence to the commission.