George Pell Should Be Given a Fair Go at Royal Commission

By Gerard Henderson
The Australian
December 5, 2015

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As far as I am aware, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse had not previously flagged a date for the expected appearance of any witness.

But last week it issued a witness list for its latest case study. Only one expected appearance date was specified, namely “Cardinal ­George Pell (from 16 December approx.)”.

This advance notice is helpful to the media to prepare for the appearance of the royal commission’s highest profile witness so far, who happens to be the third most senior figure in the Vatican.

Pell has his supporters and opponents inside and outside the Catholic Church.

Frank Brennan, the Jesuit priest and author, has been a considered critic of the present prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, on some matters, through the years. However, in an article published in the online Eureka Street magazine on November 23, Brennan essentially called for Pell to receive a fair go at the royal commission and in the media.