Heart condition forces Cardinal Pell to postpone testimony for Australian sex-abuse inquiry

December 11, 2015

Cardinal George Pell, who was expected to testify next week before a royal commission investigating sexual abuse in Australia, has announced that he will be unable to appear because of ill health.

The Australian prelate, who now serves as the Vatican’s prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, has been advised by his physician that he should not attempt the long trip to his native country because of a deteriorating heart condition.

Cardinal Pell volunteered to testify next week by a video link. But the chairman of the royal commission, Justice Peter McClellan, said that the panel will postpone the cardinal’s testimony until February, hoping that his health improves.

Cardinal Pell’s office said that he had already booked airline tickets to make his scheduled appearance on December 16, “and until the middle of this week was determined to return to give evidence in person.” The cardinal who has been accused of ignoring evidence of sexual abuse, has insisted that he wants to testify to defend himself against the charges, which he says are baseless.

However, a cardiologist who examined the cardinal last week said that overseas travel was “contraindicated.” The prelate’s office explained: “The cardinal has suffered from a heart condition for some time but his symptoms have recently worsened, with a specialist cardiologist in Rome advising only a few days ago that it is not safe for him to undertake long-haul flights in his current condition.”

 

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Further information:

• Vatican treasurer delays evidence to Australia child abuse inquiry, cites illness (Reuters)
• Cardinal George Pell 'too ill' to travel from Rome to Melbourne for royal commission (The Age)
• Cardinal George Pell backs out of giving evidence at Royal Commission into clergy abuse (9News)