Abuse survivors from Ballarat are outraged that Cardinal George Pell will appear before a royal commission in Melbourne, not in their city. Cardinal Pell had been due to give evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse at the second stage of the Ballarat hearings in November. However, last week the Read more
Cardinal George Pell has seemingly criticised Pope Francis’s most recent encyclical, arguing that the Church has “no particular expertise in science”. In an interview with the Financial Times, the cardinal appeared to distance himself from the science behind some of the statements in Laudato Si’. In the document, released last month, Francis called for global Read more
Cardinal George Pell has warned lay people against fleeing from the world and becoming preoccupied with church services and tasks of the priesthood. Speaking in Ireland, the cardinal said the so-called culture wars “are entering a new phase of political struggle which can only be fought by laypeople”. He urged young people to get involved Read more
The Archbishop of Sydney has said the hammering Cardinal George Pell is taking over the handling of abuse cases is starting to take its toll. Archbishop Anthony Fisher told Crux that the cardinal has responded to most of these most recent charges several times before. “People think he’s indestructible, but I’ve sensed seeing him this Read more
Cardinal George Pell has provided a newspaper with a copy of his passport details to disprove an abuse-related accusation. Paul Lyons, 55, was raped by Christian Brother Robert Best in 1969 and, a few weeks later, appealed to priests at St Alipius presbytery in Ballarat. Mr Lyons had claimed Cardinal Pell, who was then a young Read more
Australia’s 60 Minutes current affairs programme has described senior Catholic churchmen as “out of touch” for supporting Cardinal George Pell. Journalist Tara Brown opened the programme on Sunday with an editorial stating Church leaders had alienating victims of abuse by issuing statements supportive of the cardinal. “The Catholic Church in Australia stands in crisis,” Ms Read more
A member of the Pope’s commission to protect minors has expressed concern that Cardinal George Pell is in charge of the body’s finances. Peter Saunders had previously called on the Pope to sack the cardinal, following accusations that resurfaced at a royal commission hearing in Ballarat. Cardinal Pell has repeatedly denied claims that he moved Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said he’ll return to Australia to give evidence at the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, if he is required to do so. The recent revelations from Ballarat are so horrifying as to beggar belief and I expect he will honour the commission’s request for him to appear Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said he is willing to travel to Ballarat to give evidence at a royal commission that is hearing horrendous accounts of child abuse. Abuse victims have called on Cardinal Pell to give evidence to the inquiry to answer questions about the Church’s response to the abuse. “So far I have not Read more
Cardinal George Pell has strongly denied being involved in an alleged sex abuse cover-up and trying to bribe a victim to be quiet. In a statement, Cardinal Pell renewed his rejection of claims that he helped move paedophile Fr Gerald Ridsdale between parishes and tried to pay one of the victims to remain quiet. He Read more