Papal abuse commission steers clear of Pell-Saunders dispute

June 04, 2015

After a member of the special papal commission on sexual abuse unleashed a public attack on Cardinal George Pell, the full commission released a statement that endorsed neither the attack nor the embattled cardinal.

“The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, as mandated by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has no jurisdiction to comment on individual cases or inquiries,” the commission said in a statement released June 2. The statement went on to observe that questions about the response of Church officials in Australia to sex-abuse complaints are being investigated by a royal commission there.

Cardinal Pell, who was Archbishop of Melbourne before taking his current post as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, has been asked to appear before the royal commission again (having already testified twice) to answer questions about his handling of abuse cases. Peter Saunders, a member of the papal commission, lashed out at the cardinal in an Australian television interview, saying the Cardinal Pell has an “almost sociopathic” attitude toward abuse victims.

While other Australian prelates have come to the defense of Cardinal Pell, the abuse commission—headed by Cardinal Sean O’Malley—maintained a studied neutrality. Rather than rebuking Saunders for his harsh attack on the cardinal’s integrity, the commission’s statement backed the call for Cardinal Pell to answer the latest charges. Without naming the cardinal, the commission’s statement said that it is “essential that those in positions of authority in the Church respond promptly, transparently and with the clear intent of enabling justice to be achieved.”

 

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Further information:

• Pell case: Pontifical Commission calls for prompt response from those in positions of authority (Vatican Insider)
• Cardinal Pell receives backing from other Australian prelates-- and from a liberal critic (CWN, 6/3)