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George Pell toured France battlefields before cancelling Melbourne trip for abuse royal commission

By Shannon Deery
Herald Sun
January 4, 2016

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cardinal-george-pell-toured-france-battlefields-before-cancelling-melbourne-trip-for-abuse-royal-commission/news-story/15a65fe42933549b1381a3ec26008a08

Cardinal George Pell toured battlegrounds before cancelling his trip to Melbourne.

Victims say the trip casts doubt on Cardinal Pell’s health claims.

CARDINAL George Pell toured the Somme battlefields just weeks before poor health forced him to cancel a trip to Melbourne to testify at the child abuse royal commission.

Victims of child sexual abuse were angered when the cardinal, 74, backed out of personally appearing at the inquiry in December, citing a longstanding health problem.

His doctors deemed it was unsafe for him to make the long-haul flight from the Vatican to Australia.

He offered to give evidence via video link, but his appearance before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was instead postponed.

The Herald Sun has learned that just weeks earlier, Cardinal Pell visited the Somme ­battlefields in France at the ­invitation of a friend, a trip he described as “emotional” and “depressing”.

It is not known if he flew there or travelled overland.

Abuse victims, who have been critical of the cardinal’s dealings with sexual abuse matters, say the trip casts doubt on his health claims.

“All survivors of sexual abuse want is justice,” victim Stephen Woods said.

“It turns the knives in our stomachs to see anyone who should be held accountable get off.”

But the Herald Sun understands Cardinal Pell, who suffers from a longstanding heart condition, suffered a rapid ­deterioration in health last month, concerning doctors.

Cardinal Pell has been called to give evidence to the royal commission for the third time, after witnesses gave evidence that he ignored reports of abuse, bribed a victim to keep silent, and was involved in decisions to shuffle notorious paedophile Gerald Ridsdale between parishes.

Cardinal Pell has consistently and emphatically denied the allegations.

Shortly after being appointed Melbourne archbishop in 1996, Cardinal Pell introduced his Melbourne Response — one of the church’s first schemes to offer redress to victims of paedophile priests.

Katrina Lee, speaking for the cardinal, said any suggestion he was trying to avoid facing the royal commission for the third time was ridiculous.

“He is committed to assisting the royal commission in its work, has given evidence on two previous occasions, and is determined to give evidence in the Ballarat and Melbourne case studies,” she said.

“He has often met with victims of sexual abuse to listen to them and to help them in whatever way he can.

“Above all, he wants to do everything that he can to assist survivors in finding justice and healing, and understands the importance of his evidence for them,” she said.

Contact: shannon.deery@news.com.au




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