Cardinal Pell receives backing from other Australian prelates-- and from a liberal critic

June 03, 2015

The Catholic archbishops of Australia have issued a joint statement in support of Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, who has been charged with insensitivity to sex-abuse victims.

The archbishops of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Canberra-Goulbourn said that the cardinal is “a man of integrity” who had shown his commitment to learning the truth about abuse complaints.

Cardinal Pell has been harshly attacked by Peter Saunders, a British member of the papal commission on sexual abuse, who told an Australian television audience that the cardinal has an “almost sociopathic” attitude toward abuse. A spokesman for Cardinal Pell responded by noting that Saunders seemed unacquainted with the cardinal’s record in Australia, and with the fact that independent investigators found no evidence that Cardinal Pell had ignored or concealed evidence of abuse.

In a related development, a liberal Australian Jesuit who has clashed openly with Cardinal Pell in the past has called for fair treatment of the prelate, and criticized a royal commission for providing a forum to a witness whose accusations against the cardinal have never been substantiated.

“Let me be very upfront. I am no fan of Pell, and he is no fan of mine,” wrote Father Frank Brennan for The Australian. However, he said:

From the first day of his appointment as archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, Pell went into overdrive seeking a means for dealing promptly and efficiently with abuse claims.

Father Brennan reminded readers that Cardinal Pell has promised to answer questions from the royal commission. The facts, and the cardinal’s answers to crucial questions, should settle the case, he wrote.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• It doesn’t help to condemn George Pell (The Australian)
• George Pell a man of integrity insist Australia bishops (The Australian)
• Papal commission member steps up attack on Cardinal Pell (CWN, 6/2)