Cardinal George Pell knew a paedophile teacher was moved to a new school because he was allegedly abusing children but did not tell church authorities or the police because he presumed the teacher would receive “help” to stop him reoffending.

Brother Ted Dowlan, a member of the Christian Brothers order, was removed from St Patrick’s College in 1974 after he admitted abusing boys under his care. He went on to abuse children at at least another four schools over another 14 years. Dowlan has since been jailed twice for abusing children, in 1996 and again last year.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/02/george-pell-presumed-paedophile-teacher-would-get-help-he-tells-royal-commission

News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt, a staunch defender of Cardinal George Pell, has declared the Catholic cleric’s evidence at the royal commission on Tuesday “disastrous” and the case against him “very damning”.

In a dramatic reversal of his consistent defence of Pell, the Herald Sun commentator now says the Vatican’s finance chief was either lying or “dangerously indifferent” to the fact children were being raped.

On Tuesday afternoon Bolt stunned viewers when he told Sky News Australia that he had just witnessed Pell’s cross-examination in the hearing room in Rome and it was “terrible” and his image was forever damaged.

Under cross-examination by Gail Furness SC, counsel assisting the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, Pell said he hadn’t asked about Gerald Ridsdale’s crimes: “It was a sad story and of not much interest to me. I had no reason to turn my mind to the evils Ridsdale had perpetrated.”

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/02/andrew-bolt-says-cardinal-george-pell-either-lying-or-dangerously-indifferent

A victim of a paedophile priest says she believes Cardinal George Pell knew there was abuse going on but will never acknowledge it.

Julie Stewart was sexually abused by Peter Searson when he was a parish priest in Doveton in the mid-1980s.

"I will always believe he knew. Always," Ms Stewart told 7.30.

"I believe [Pell] did his job well. He did his job by protecting the church's assets and protecting the church's name, but I don't believe he protected the children.

"His way of making it up to us is just standing up and saying, 'I did know. I'm sorry. What can I do to fix this?'"

Cardinal Pell wrote letter of apology in 1988: Ms Stewart

After listening to the Cardinal's evidence, an emotional Ms Stewart struggled to articulate her disappointment.

"I wasn't surprised because I guess I have come to the understanding and the ... acknowledgement for all of us victims I speak on behalf of, that he will never acknowledge any knowledge."

Ms Stewart believes Cardinal Pell knew there were victims of Peter Searson.

In 1998, when he was Archbishop of Melbourne, Cardinal Pell wrote a letter of apology to Ms Stewart for her abuse at the hands of Searson.

Cardinal Pell never mentioned this letter at a Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry in 2013.

When asked about this in the 2013 inquiry, Cardinal Pell made the statement: "No conviction was recorded for Searson on sexual misbehaviour. There might be victims."

The deputy chair of that inquiry, Frank Maguire, said it was never shown the letter.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-02/george-pell-abuse-royal-commission-survivor-julie-stewart/7215504

From Joanne McCarthy, SMH

 

 

Cardinal George Pell has to resign. Before the week is out, and on the back of his evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the cardinal must go, and Pope Francis must be involved.

If not, the Catholic Church in Australia is going to bleed numbers indefinitely. The Pope's statements about child sexual abuse will be seen as nothing but more words from a church whose standing has been trashed on the issue, and shockingly so over the past three days.

Pell has no credibility as a moral leader. Pope Francis' reputation as the people's Pope – champion of the poor and powerless – is damaged by association if he fails to act decisively, and immediately.

Pell was appalling in the witness box. Watching him give evidence felt almost ghoulish at times, like standing across the road from a car crash. How can any thinking, feeling, responsive – Christian for heaven's sake – human being respond the way Pell did, when questioned about Doveton priest Peter Searson's horrifying behaviour with children?

Asked about a report of Searson stabbing a bird to death with a screwdriver in front of children, Pell conceded it came to his attention but "I don't know whether the bird was already dead but at some stage I certainly was informed of this bizarre happening".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/cardinal-george-pell-has-to-resign-or-pope-francise-must-act-20160302-gn8o15.html#ixzz41m8AinT4 
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

(Note: the toon at top was posted before the cartoon in the SMH, March 3 2016... In the toon at top, you might notice that, despite the hands in from of his eyes, Priest Pell can see, despite the hands on his ears, Bishop Pell can hear, and despite his hand on his mouth, Cardinal Pell can talk, but what he mumbles is crafted nonsense)

 

 

Cardinal George Pell says he will not be resigning over the Catholic Church's child abuse scandal.

After four days testifying before the child abuse royal commission via video link from Rome, Cardinal Pell said leaving his position at the Vatican "would be an admission of guilt".

Australia's most senior Catholic made the comments on Sky News while speaking with conservative commentator Andrew Bolt, who was granted an exclusive interview.

Cardinal Pell said he wanted to come back to Australia one day, having been unable to return to testify in person at the royal commission due to a heart condition.

read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-05/george-pell-says-resigning-would-be-an-admission-of-guilt/7223124

 

Despite all his skill at unsettling people, I would surprised if Bolt would be able to get under the skin of this pass-the-buck cardinal. 

Dr Simon Longstaff AO is the Executive Director of The Ethics Centre.

I recently passed by a group of protesters who were calling for Cardinal George Pell's head. They were appealing to what looked like a willing crowd.

The Cardinal arouses strong emotions - often diametrically opposed - among his supporters and critics. Many speculate about his character but few could know what he is really like.

As to the role he has played as a priest, bishop and cardinal - much of that history is now being examined in a very public manner. That is as it should be.

However, I am troubled by other aspects of how Cardinal Pell is being treated - not least in a media that should know better.

Unpopular as it may be to say in some circles, Cardinal Pell must be accorded the same fundamental rights as claimed by any other Australian citizen. George Pell has not been formally charged with any offence. But even if he had, the fact he is prominent and powerful would not be reason enough to deny him basic justice (even if it is believed that he may have denied this to others).

Cardinal Pell has a personal responsibility to act in good conscience. If he has done wrong, then by far and away the most compassionate course of action would be to admit this. To do so would be in service of the truth and of those harmed - people whom he is obliged, by his own religion, to place before himself and his church. However, he also has every right to expect fair treatment.

http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2016/03/04/4418566.htm

Most of the people — who worked with Pell, in whatever capacity,  on the shifting of priests from parish to parish — are dead. So Pell is getting away with lying and having abandoned his duty of care to people in order to get hierarchical promotion... At this stage the devil's work is done, inside the Vatican.

 

They said it

"It's a sad story, and it wasn't of much interest to me . . . I had no reason to turn my mind to the extent of the evils that Ridsdale had perpetrated."

Cardinal George Pell to the royal commission. And so, the end.

"If we were to come to the conclusion that you did know about Ridsdale when he was moved, then you would be culpable too?"

Royal commissioner Peter McClellan to Cardinal Pell, who replied, after a pause, "Correct".

"You can't wave a magic wand and correct the situation easily in every situation."

A frustrated Cardinal Pell at the royal commission asked what he had done to help sexually abused children. Counsel assisting Gail Furness, SC: "We are talking about the safety of children, Cardinal ... You don't need a magic wand; you just need a group of adults who are responsible don't you?"

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/cardinal-george-pell-is-finished-whatever-way-you-look-at-it-20160303-gn9r7v.html#ixzz4272Yc3bS
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

Of course Pell had EVERY REASONS to turn HIS mind to the extent of the evils that Ridsdale had perpetrated.