Cardinal Pell

Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher has confirmed the passing of Pell in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

Benedict’s death on December 31 brought to an end a decade of the former and present pope living side-by-side in the Vatican. “He was in good form. I personally found him to be a man of great loyalty and integrity. He was lively. His son died from a heroin overdose in 2014, having never made allegations against Pell. This news comes as a great shock to all of us. “Please pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Pell, for comfort and consolation for his family, and for all of those who loved him and are grieving him at this time.” “I see you. I hear you. He was someone who was always very good to me and I’m very grateful for the opportunities that he gave me in my professional life. Please pray for the repose of the soul of cardinal Pell, for comfort and consolation for his family and for all of those who loved him and are grieving him at this time. Australia has lost a great son and the church has lost a great leader with the passing of George Pell.

Cardinal George Pell rose from a childhood in country Victoria to become one of the most senior Catholic clerics in the world, before sex assault ...

Until he was charged with multiple historical sexual assault offences by Victorian police in June 2017, Pell appeared to have lived a charmed life. This was to be the beginning of a seemingly endless wave of rumours, accusations and denials over Pell and his handling of child sex abuse in the Australian Catholic Church. Renown in the church for his administrative ability, Pell was the prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy, a position to which he had been appointed in 2014 when it was established by Pope Francis. The images of a cardinal in handcuffs rocked the Catholic world. George Pell was born in the Victorian town of Ballarat on June 8, 1941, the son of a non-practising Anglican publican and an Irish Catholic mother. He boasted prime ministers and politicians among his friends, was known as a trusted confidant of Pope Francis and the keeper of the Vatican’s purse strings. “Australia has lost a great son and the church has lost a great leader with the passing of George Pell,” he said. He was afforded one of Australia’s highest honours, being appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2005. “Please pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Pell, for comfort and consolation for his family and for all of those who loved him and are grieving him at this time,” he said. Former prime minister Tony Abbot, said the cardinal was a “committed defender of Catholic orthodoxy and a staunch advocate for the virtues of Western civilisation”. In 2020, the conviction was overturned by the High Court, and he was released from prison. A divisive figure, Pell had spent the final years of his life living in the Archdiocese of Sydney - over which he once presided as the Archbishop of Sydney - following the High Court’s unanimous quashing of his conviction for child sex offences in April 2020.

Newswire Reuters reports that Church sources believe Pell died of cardiac arrest in a Rome hospital. The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, ...

Since then, he had been splitting his time between Sydney and the Vatican, the capital of Catholic worship. One of the former choirboys died in 2014, aged in his 30s, from a heroin overdose, having never made allegations against Pell. He served as Archbishop of both the Melbourne and Sydney archdioceses and was Australia’s most prominent cleric. “May he rest in peace”. [Sign up here](https://www.theage.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p57ogt). Pell is believed to have died following complications from hip replacement surgery.

Cardinal George Pell, Australia's highest ranking Catholic, has died in Rome at the age of 81 after suffering complications from a hip replacement surgery.

In the years that followed, a link was found between teenage suicides and homophobia. At the time, comedian Tim Minchin released a song dedicated to Pell called Come Home. “There are many smorgasbord Catholics who choose a bit of this and that … and to work hard to get the truth out. Other priests who were shifted perhaps not as frequently as him but, for one reason or another, moved frequently.” In January 2018, one of the key complainants against Pell died. He blessed me as I left, right after this photo. The swimmers’ trial began on February 13, 2019. When acquitting Cardinal Pell of the charges in April 2020, the bench of the High Court found there was “a significant possibility that an innocent person” had been convicted “because the evidence did not establish guilt to the requisite standard of proof”. Cardinal Pell admitted he was “pretty ordinary” spiritually and at times he thought he may have to wait until the afterlife to get justice and be vindicated of the allegations. By June, his appeal had been heard by the appellate division of the supreme court of Victoria and in August, the appeal was dismissed by a majority of two to one. He denied all allegations.

Cardinal was acquitted on appeal of child sexual abuse charges but remained tarnished by his response to paedophile priests over decades.

[Christos Tsolkias said](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/03/my-anger-with-george-pell-has-been-replaced-by-immense-sadness): “The ugly story of sexual and physical abuse in the Catholic church [is] one of the defining stories of our age”. His conviction and subsequent acquittal [divided Catholics worldwide](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/03/archbishop-says-dont-be-too-quick-to-judge-pell-but-parishioners-struggle-with-faith), leaving many struggling to reconcile their faith with the church’s failure to satisfactorily address child sexual abuse. As a result, the guilty verdict in the first case was revealed and Pell was sentenced to six years in jail, with a non-parole period of three years and eight months. [Pope Benedict XVI](https://viewer.gutools.co.uk/world/pope-benedict-xvi) in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013. In its final report, the commission [stated that](https://theconversation.com/how-george-pell-failed-child-sex-abuse-victims-the-full-findings-of-the-royal-commission-report-138102) “by 1973 Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy but that he also had considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it”. He became known for his formidable skills as an energetic administrator and doctrinal conservative, drawing the attention of the authorities in Rome, who appointed him auxiliary bishop of Melbourne in 1987, then archbishop in 1996. He also received a master’s in education from Monash University and was involved in establishing the Australian Catholic University. Pell was retried and convicted on 11 December, but the verdict could not be made public until the second case had been completed. [the Melbourne Response](https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-studies/case-study-16-melbourne-response) to investigate allegations of sexual abuse within the archdiocese going back decades and offer counselling to victims. Pell himself became the highest-ranking Catholic to be convicted of such offences, and he spent more than a year in jail before his Pell attended St Patrick’s College in Ballarat where his commanding height, cool demeanour and athleticism preordained him for the rowing, athletics and Australian rules football teams, with whom he won trophy after trophy. Pell was acquitted on appeal after his conviction in 2018, having spent 405 days in jail.

The US-based EWTN Catholic news service reported Cardinal Pell went into cardiac arrest and died on Tuesday evening following hip replacement surgery in ...

In an emergency, call 000. But I am keen that the church is not judged unfairly," he said. I think there are worse things than the stoics. "My only concern is to get the truth out there. - Cardinal Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse offences in 2018 while he was the Archbishop of Melbourne. - Cardinal George Pell has died at the age of 81 in Vatican City.

Cardinal George Pell, whose conviction on child abuse charges shocked the Catholic Church before being quashed, has died at 81. The former Vatican treasurer ...

The cleric knew of child sexual abuse by priests in Australia as early as the 1970s but failed to take action, a landmark inquiry found in 2017. Cardinal Pell also faced criticism in Australia over his role in the Church's response to allegations of child sex abuse. Speaking to the BBC in 2020, Cardinal Pell said there was "no doubt" that his "direct" style and traditional approach to issues such as abortion had driven parts of the public against him.

Some in the clergy urged people to pray for the 81-year-old, while others outside the church have begun putting the Cardinal's legacy under the microscope.

Cardinal Pell disputed the findings. "And there were no real apologies ... "I think it's very mixed for them. Others, I think it reflects a lot of frustration, because there's never been proper accountability," Ms Courtin said. "The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is also listed as a defendant in this matter," Shine Lawyers chief legal officer, Lisa Flynn, said in a statement. Truth Justice and Healing Council chief executive Francis Sullivan said Cardinal Pell became a "lightning rod" of discontent and a "polarising figure" in the church for his views particularly against homosexuality. The Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Andrew Comensoli, said Cardinal Pell was a significant figure "both in Australia and Internationally". Cardinal Pell became Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, and the Archbishop of Sydney in 2001. "He was a staunch defender of traditional positions on morality and also on questions of liturgy and, of course, that won him many admirers in the Church and just as many opponents." Dr Pattenden said Pell had "many admirers", but there were also "many people who hold him at least indirectly responsible for many of the problems which have assailed the Australian church over the past 20 or 30 years, and who wish that he'd been called to account in a fuller way for some of his decisions as Archbishop". "George Pell was one of the most conservative figures of his generation in the global church," Dr Pattenden said. "Please pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Pell, for comfort and consolation for his family and for all of those who loved him and are grieving him at this time."

The US-based EWTN Catholic news service reported Cardinal Pell went into cardiac arrest and died on Tuesday evening following hip replacement surgery in ...

But I am keen that the church is not judged unfairly," he said. At that time, a man claimed Cardinal Pell sexually abused him in 1962 when he was an altar boy. I think there are worse things than the stoics. Cardinal George Pell at the Easter Vigil Mass in St. "My only concern is to get the truth out there. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, in April. He was jailed for six years. "The Cardinal was a committed defender of Catholic orthodoxy and a staunch advocate for the virtues of western civilisation," Mr Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday. Cardinal Pell denied the charge and in 2003 he became a cardinal in the Vatican. His appeal was dismissed by a two-to-one majority in the Court of Appeal and he applied for special leave to appeal to the nation's highest court. - Cardinal Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse offences in 2018 while he was the Archbishop of Melbourne. Cardinal Pell was convicted in 2018 of molesting two teenage choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick's Cathedral while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.

George Pell died in Rome. He was speaking to doctors post-hip replacement surgery where he went into cardiac arrest. A few days earlier he attended the funeral ...

This article contains references to child abuse. Australia's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has died in Vatican City, Rome, aged 81.

But I am keen that the church is not judged unfairly," he said. At that time, a man claimed Cardinal Pell sexually abused him in 1962 when he was an altar boy. I think there are worse things than the stoics. Cardinal George Pell at the Easter Vigil Mass in St. "My only concern is to get the truth out there. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, in April. He was jailed for six years. "The Cardinal was a committed defender of Catholic orthodoxy and a staunch advocate for the virtues of western civilisation," Mr Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday. Cardinal Pell denied the charge and in 2003 he became a cardinal in the Vatican. His appeal was dismissed by a two-to-one majority in the Court of Appeal and he applied for special leave to appeal to the nation's highest court. - Cardinal Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse offences in 2018 while he was the Archbishop of Melbourne. Cardinal Pell was convicted in 2018 of molesting two teenage choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick's Cathedral while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.

The controversy that clouded George Pell's life continues after the death of Australia's most senior Catholic. The 81-year-old...

His body will be returned to Australia and buried in St Mary's crypt. At that time, a man claimed Cardinal Pell sexually abused him in 1962 when he was an altar boy. The president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, said the cardinal was a man of deep and abiding faith. "Please pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Pell, for comfort and consolation for his family and for all of those who loved him and are grieving him at this time," he wrote on Facebook. He denied the allegation and in 2003 became a cardinal in the Vatican. "The cardinal has been one of the great churchmen of Australia and internationally," the archbishop told reporters on Wednesday.

THIS is Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge's statement on the life and achievements of Cardinal George Pell after the cardinal died aged 81 in Rome, ...

For now we give thanks for the gifts George Pell brought to us and the challenges he posed. Pell became the victim of an outrageous injustice as he was convicted and jailed for 13 months before a final vindication. The spiritual poise and strength he showed through all of this was extraordinary. With the move to Sydney he was named Cardinal, which brought with it a further enhancement of his Vatican profile. A product and priest of the rural diocese of Ballarat, he rose to be not only Archbishop of Melbourne but, extraordinarily, Archbishop of Sydney as well. It was unthinkable then that the Archbishop of Melbourne would be moved to Sydney.

Abuse survivor Phil Nagle did finally get the opportunity to confront the man he held partly responsible for covering up sexual assault in Ballarat during ...

He was previously state rounds reporter and has also covered education for The Age.Connect via [David Estcourt](/by/david-estcourt-h01sgh)– David is a crime and justice reporter at The Age.Connect via Pell accused the commission of making findings “not supported by evidence”. Many Christians and conservatives laud Pell as a generational leader and see his pursuit in the courts as politically tainted. The commission found that was implausible. A criminal conviction for these allegations was overturned by the High Court. Now these secrets, Nagle fears, will be taken to the grave. “None of us will be shedding any tears,” Nagle said on Wednesday after Pell’s death was confirmed. “For many survivors of clerical abuse, particularly here in Australia, George Pell was a symbol of a system that repeatedly put the interests of the Catholic Church above the interest and safety of individuals,” she said. He told the royal commission he was deceived in “a world of crimes and cover-ups” and did not know about the abuse. “I encourage anyone that is affected by this to seek support available and for them to know that the entire survivor community is here and ready to stand with them,” she said. For victims and opponents of the church, he is a totem of the institution’s failings. “He wanted to be in denial and defend the brand.”

The cardinal was smart and determined. His failure to uncover some of the worst cases of child sexual abuse by priests blights his reputation.

Pell was in his 40s when he took the training of priests in Melbourne back to the old days. The appeal court of Victoria backed the jury. These principles Pell reasserted in the courts when he became the cardinal archbishop of Sydney in 2001. The teachers came to Pell begging him to remove the priest. When Ridsdale was facing abuse charges, Pell escorted the priest to court. He did what he did to preserve the power and the assets of the church. Picking the worst of what Pell did in the years that followed is difficult. He was probably right when he boasted he was the first Catholic priest since the Reformation to be given a doctorate at Oxford. The Rome of John Paul II was not willing to face the shame of child abuse. A lone vigilante protecting kids on the far side of the world might end his days in a seaside parish, but not wearing a cardinal’s hat. A martyr, his followers say, to the secular powers besieging the church. Pell was 56 years a priest; 18 years an archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney; a cardinal for 20 years and a prisoner in Victorian jails for one.

'Sense of quiet' in town which has the unfortunate distinction of being a hotspot of historic sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

“He was always good company and had a good sense of humour. [findings of the royal commission](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/07/george-pell-cardinal-was-aware-of-children-being-sexually-abused-royal-commission-report-reveals) stated Pell was “conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy” as early as 1973. The archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, defended Pell’s response to child sexual abuse. “Cardinal Pell’s death will heighten similar intense feelings and distress, as survivors relive their own journeys in which they battled secrecy, silence and denial. He served 13 months in jail before being released. Witness J could not be reached for comment. I suppose he was always known as a strong leader and very full of pride in his ideas – that was his part of his personality,” he says. Survivor groups estimate more than 50 suicides in the town are linked to historic sexual abuse by priests. New ribbons were being placed on the fence on Wednesday. In 2018 Pell was convicted of molesting the choirboy and his friend – known as witness J – in the sacristy at St Patrick’s Cathedral while he was archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. In Melbourne, the father of a deceased ex-choirboy who Pell was accused of sexually abusing while he was archbishop of Melbourne confirmed Colourful ribbons adorn the fence of the cathedral and others in buildings in Ballarat as a mark of respect for the abuse victims.

Pontiff praises 'determination and wisdom' of Pell, who was convicted but then acquitted of child sexual abuse.

He became a bishop in 1987 and was made a cardinal in 2003, serving as archbishop of Melbourne and then Sydney in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Pell was such a high-profile person, the fact that he has died will be another trigger for the survivors of abuse … He made use of his time on Earth – whether in church or prison – to glorify God.” Pat Brown, a spokesperson for the Catholic Women’s Ordination, which released a strong statement on behalf of survivors of clerical abuse after Benedict’s death, said: “Here we have a double whammy. He always maintained his innocence and his Days earlier, he attended the [funeral of Pope Benedict XVI](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/05/pope-benedict-xvi-funeral-expected-to-draw-big-crowds-to-st-peters-square-vatican) at the Vatican. He was a great man and we owe him many things.” This will come as a shock to many. “I only gave the instructions,” the pontiff said. Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said: “For many people, particularly of the Catholic faith, this will be a difficult day and I express my condolences to all those who are mourning today. He is the one who started this. Then he had to stay for almost two years in Australia because of this slander they made against him – he was innocent, but they made him an ugly, poor fellow – and he walked away from this administration, but it was Pell who provided the blueprint for how things could go forward.

Australian politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, have paid tribute to Cardinal Pell.

“I suspect, in part, this fury reflected a reckoning with the historical failures of the wider Catholic Church to deal with child sexual abuse, as well as the harsh public caricature that was the result of his positions on many issues,” Mr Leeser said. Whether at home or abroad, George Pell was sent in to clean up the messes of others,” Mr Leeser said. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a personal friend of Cardinal Pell, said “Australia has lost a great son and the Church has lost a great leader” and called Cardinal Pell “a saint for our times”.

Australian Bishops react to news of passing of former Prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy on January 10.

“As a member of the Bishops Conference for more than 25 years, it will be for historians to assess his impact on the life of the Church in Australia and beyond, but it was considerable, and will be long-lasting”, Fisher added. [Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney](https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/archbishop-mourns-cardinal-pell-our-most-prominent-ever-churchman/) who in comments and a homily given during Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral described his predecessor as “Australia’s most prominent ever churchman, having provided strong and clear leadership within the Catholic Church in Australia, as Archbishop of Melbourne and Archbishop of Sydney.” [statement released on Wednesday](https://www.catholic.au/s/article/Statement-on-the-Death-of-Cardinal-George-Pell), the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, remarked that his “impact on the life of the Church in Australia and around the world will continue to be felt for many years”, and asked Catholics and other people of goodwill to join in praying for for the repose of his soul.

Un-redacted report released in 2020 revealed how archbishop failed to take proper steps to act on complaints about dangerous priests.

We found that he should have advised the archbishop to remove Father Searson and he did not do so.” The complaints were not acted upon by senior parish staff, so he took his complaints higher, to figures within the archdiocese of Melbourne and the Catholic Education Office, asking for meetings and outlining his concerns. It found that Pell should have advised senior Catholic authorities to remove Searson, who was described as “unstable and disturbed”, in 1989. “We are not satisfied that Bishop Pell said the words attributed to him or otherwise sought to obtain Mr Ridsdale’s silence. Brother Edward “Ted” Dowlan was a notorious Christian Brother paedophile who worked at Ballarat’s St Patrick’s college. He did nothing to report it. Father Pell said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous’ and walked out,” Green said. He said Pell called him. We do not accept that Bishop Pell was deceived, intentionally or otherwise.” “By this time, child sexual abuse was on his radar, in relation to not only Monsignor Day but also Ridsdale.” [report](https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/file-list/un-redacted_report_of_case_study_28_-_catholic_church_authorities_in_ballarat.pdf) found he both knew about child abuse, particularly within the Victorian diocese of Ballarat, and failed to take proper steps to act on complaints about dangerous priests. On the basis of what was known to Bishop Pell in 1989, we found that it ought to have been obvious to him at the time.

Francis Sullivan, the CEO of Truth, Justice and Healing Council says clerics such as Cardinal Pell were not in step with the Catholic community on social ...

Catholic child sexual abuse survivor Julie Stewart wrote to me just after hearing the news about the sudden death of Cardinal George Pell.

On behalf of the Catholic Church and personally, I apologise to you and to those around you for the wrongs and the hurt that you suffered at the hands of Father Searson." I always mattered and I mattered back then too," Julie wrote. Ride on over all obstacles and win the race." You may never be rid of the memories or the hurt … In Ballarat, Pell's hometown and the diocese where he grew his power, the royal commission described a "catastrophic institutional failure". "Bishop Pell was in a senior position … "Might?" Sleeman lost his career as a principal trying to get justice for Julie and to expose Searson. There are hundreds of victims of these men of the cloth. How can this man, enormous in legacy and in physical stature, be a "was"? Some of the victims took their own lives. "But those little girls and little boys are deeply burrowed inside of us …

Pope Francis has paid tribute to George Pell labelling the Cardinal "a grateful soul". In a statement, Pope Francis said, “This faithful servant, ...

A leading Australian Catholic and close advisor to Pope Francis, the cardinal had participated in the funeral of his friend, Pope Benedict XVI, ...

But he never lost the confidence of Pope Francis, who last year praised Cardinal Pell’s “ John Paul II appointed him a bishop in 1987 and archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. Born in Ballarat, Victoria state in 1941, he studied theology at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1966. Pope Francis, who stood by Cardinal Pell during his trials, welcomed him back to the Vatican. He spent three years as prefect of the newly created Secretariat for the Economy, where he tried to impose international budgeting, accounting and transparency standards. “This news comes as a great shock to all of us,” Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher said in a statement on Facebook.

The Pope said he was saddened by Pell's death and said he was a “consistent and committed witness”, with a lifelong dedication to the church.

He often attended the pontiff’s Masses and Francis praised him publicly after his return. His body is likely to lie in state in a side chapel in St Peter’s Basilica ahead of a service, possibly on Friday. He was convicted and spent 13 months in prison in 2019 and 2020, but maintained his innocence.

Cardinal George Pell is to be laid to rest in the crypt which holds the remains of some of Australia's most high-profile Catholic figures.

It was reported in 2018 that a mausoleum was being prepared for Cardinal Pell beneath St Mary's in the event of his death. Cardinal Pell's body will be repatriated to Sydney and join seven other former archbishops whose remains are buried in the crypt below St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney's CBD It's a nearly 100-year-old ornate crypt with "one of the finest mosaic floors in the world" and soon it will be the final resting place for Cardinal George Pell.

Premier Daniel Andrews says there will not be a state funeral or memorial service in Victoria for Cardinal...

At that time, a man claimed Cardinal Pell sexually abused him in 1962 when the accuser was an altar boy. "He had a lot of adversity in his life. His body will be returned to Australia and buried in St Mary's crypt. The cleric denied the allegation and in 2003 became a cardinal in the Vatican. In a telegram of condolence sent to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Pope Francis also thanked Cardinal Pell for laying the groundwork for financial reform in the Vatican with "determination and wisdom". A service for Cardinal Pell will be held at the Vatican in coming days and a funeral mass will follow at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe is the Catholic Archbishop of Perth. He is also President of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference. On the morning of…

He took his stand, as Wiegel wrote, on the truth, confident that the truth is liberating in the deepest meaning of human freedom. There was no corroborating evidence at all in this regard, however, several witnesses, including the then Archbishop of Melbourne’s Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Charles Portelli, insisted under oath and during cross-examination that it was impossible for the events to have unfolded as the complainant alleged. Archbishop Costelloe also seemed to have forgotten in the interview that Cardinal Pell had no ‘victims’, only complainants. The magistrate at the committal hearing was under intense pressure to bring to trial charges that were weak, and at the trial, Crown prosecutors produced no evidence that the alleged crime had ever been committed, basing their evidence, as I noted above, on the testimony of one complainant, testimony that was shown to be inconsistent and deeply flawed. That being said, Archbishop Costelloe seemed to forget that it was Cardinal Pell who implemented the Melbourne Response. The police investigation leading to allegations against the Cardinal was a sleazy trolling expedition. Worse, he ignored the fact that Cardinal Pell spent 405 days in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Each recount by survivors makes me sick to the stomach and their quest for justice and healing (the importance of the role of Confession in this regard Secondly, the Catholic Church has acknowledged the grave errors of the past in dealing with child sexual abuse that caused so much harm to so many innocent people. Cardinal Pell, when he was Archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s, was the first in Australia to enact a comprehensive redress program for survivors of abuse at the hands of the clergy (known as the Melbourne Response) that has been replicated across Australia and the world, and not just by the Catholic Church. Archbishop Costelloe’s interview, which follows that of Andrew Bolt, commences at 15:42 of the podcast. He is also President of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

Victorian premier says those abused 'at the hands of the Catholic church' foremost in his thoughts.

It was abolished in 2021. He served 13 months in jail before being released. Pell was born and raised in Ballarat, about 110km west of Melbourne, and returned to the town to begin his career as a priest in the local diocese in the late 1960s. I will not do that. He was 81. “We should never ever forget that, and we will never ever forget victims, survivors of institutional child sexual abuse at the hands of the Catholic church.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said survivors of sexual abuse should be foremost in people's thoughts in his first public comments following the death ...

That is my view, and I will not do that.” “But I think, more importantly, at what will be a very challenging time for victim survivors, [it’s important] to send the clearest possible message: That we see you. “Legacy is a matter for others to judge,” Andrews said.

The news of the death of George Pell sends shock waves through the Vatican, as many struggle to come to grips with the loss of a man they saw out and about ...

he was a brilliant administrator," said Cardinal Muller. "There was a precedent that the Vatican protects people from prison or poor treatment … "I saw him just days ago and he wanted to discuss Pope Francis' recent homily … "He did face quite a lot of resistance inside the Vatican to his attempts to reform the way that the Vatican handled money," Mr Lamb said. "He expressed a part of the church that felt they are on another level, they believe they don't have to face the judgement of the man, they only have to face the judgement of God. "He was the kind of cardinal who felt himself to be a prince, cardinals are sometimes called the prince of the church," Nina Fabrizio, a Vatican journalist and author told the ABC.

In 2018, Cardinal Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse offences while he was Archbishop of Melbourne. His conviction was overturned by the High Court on ...

At that time, a man claimed Cardinal Pell sexually abused him in 1962 when the accuser was an altar boy. More information is available at and . His body will be returned to Australia and buried in St Mary's crypt.

A service was held in memory of Cardinal George Pell, who was born in Ballarat; Cardinal Pell died in Rome after nearly 60 years of service to the Catholic ...

"My thoughts are more with people who suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church. "I'm not interested in George Pell. "Forgiveness? I'm interested in helping people [who] suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church and people who weren't protected and should have been." Outside the service, some people tied new ribbons to the cathedral's fence in memory of victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy. The congregation prayed for Cardinal Pell and for the victims of "child molestation", many of whom died by suicide in the decades after they suffered abuse at the hands of clergy.

Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous says Cardinal George Pell was a “great leader” in the Catholic Church whose legacy “covers many, many areas”.