Wilson, 67, the most senior Catholic official in the world to be charged with concealing child sex assault, has been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

He met with Adelaide neuropsychologist Emma Scamps on Tuesday to determine if he was capable of understanding the evidence to be given at his trial and to instruct his lawyers.

Newcastle Local Court was told today that Scamps believed Wilson had signs of cognitive impairment but was mentally well enough to stand trial.

Wilson had been due to appear in court last week for the start of a two-week hearing over allegations he concealed information about the sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy in 1971 by the now-dead pedophile priest James Fletcher in the NSW Hunter region.

The trial is now due to begin at 2pm this afternoon to give Wilson time to travel from Adelaide to Newcastle.

Last week, defence barrister Stephen Odgers SC told the court that Wilson had been advised by his doctors not to travel from Adelaide to Newcastle for at least a week after having a pacemaker fitted.

Odgers said a neurologist had also expressed concerns about Wilson’s mental health and his ability to understand the case against him.

Later that week, Wilson posted a letter on the website of the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide in which he revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease after a “nasty fall” in October.

“I was unconscious for a small amount of time and I lost a lot of blood,” he said. “The blood thinner medication I take contributed to the significant blood loss.

“In the weeks following this event, some of my colleagues noticed that I was not myself and advised me to have a number of medical tests.

“As a result of those tests, it was determined that I needed a pacemaker attached to my heart, and the neurological tests have diagnosed that I have Alzheimer’s disease.”

– with AAP