BishopAccountability.org

Cardinal George Pell responds to calls for him to come home

By Marissa Calligeros
Sydney Morning Herald
February 18, 2016

http://www.smh.com.au/national/cardinal-george-pell-responds-to-calls-for-him-to-come-home-20160217-gmx38a.html

Cardinal George Pell says a "great deal of incorrect information" has been circulating in the past few days

Tim Minchin performed the song 'Come Home (Cardinal Pell)' on The Project.

[with video]

Cardinal George Pell has responded to attacks on his refusal to travel to Australia to face the child abuse royal commission in person, including a provocative song penned by comedian Tim Minchin.

In a strongly-worded statement, Cardinal Pell said he considered himself an ally of abuse victims and was willing to meet with them, listen to them, and express his ongoing support.

"The past few days has seen a great deal of incorrect information relating to Cardinal George Pell and his upcoming royal commission appearance," Cardinal Pell's office said in a statement on Thursday.

"The Cardinal is anxious to present the facts without further delays.

"Cardinal Pell has always helped victims, listened to them and considered himself their ally. As an archbishop for almost 20 years, he has led from the front to put an end to cover ups, to protect vulnerable people and to try to bring justice to victims."

The Cardinal has claimed he is too ill to travel to Australia to give evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Instead, he will testify via video-link from Rome, where he now manages the Vatican's finances, on February 29.

The Cardinal said he was prepared to meet with the victims, as he had done after previous hearings. 

It is presumed he is referring to those who intend to travel to Rome, using funds raised via a GoFundMe campaign, to watch him give evidence.

The statement highlighted Cardinal Pell's previous two appearances before the royal commission, including several days at a public hearing in Sydney in 2014. 

It also noted that the Cardinal had appeared before a Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations.

"It is ultimately a matter for the Royal Commission to determine the precise arrangements for the provision of evidence by the Cardinal in Rome," the statement says.

"The Cardinal will continue to co-operate with whatever arrangements the royal commission determines, so that he can be heard on the days and at the times recently set by the commissioner."

There has been mounting criticism of Cardinal Pell this week, most notably the controversial song penned by Tim Minchin called "Come Home (Cardinal Pell)".

The song, which debuted on Network Ten's The Project on Tuesday night, attracted a groundswell of support from viewers and social media users and prompted thousands of donations to the crowdfunding page set up to pay for abuse victims to travel to Rome.

By 9am on Thursday, $172,000 had been raised via the GoFundMe page, which was set up by The Project hosts Meshel Laurie and Gorgi Coghlan.

However, it remains uncertain whether they will be allowed to attended the hearing in Rome.

The commission is still determining what the arrangements will be.

The Cardinal faces allegations he attempted to buy the silence of an abuse victim; dismissed a victim's complaint; moved an abusive priest around parishes; and was complicit in failings of the Melbourne archdiocese to deal with sexual abuse in the church.

David Ridsdale - the nephew of notorious convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale - is among the abuse victims planning to travel to Rome.

Mr Ridsdale told Triple M radio on Thursday morning that he had to travel to Australia from London to be cross-examined by Cardinal Pell's lawyers.

"All we [victims] asked for before this crowdfunding was that George Pell face the same conditions we faced in the Australian open court," he said.

"I don't wish for a witch hunt, I wish for the legal processes to be followed through."

Mr Ridsdale said the community support for him and other victims through the crowdfunding page had been "utterly overwhelming".

"It's something we never could have imagined," he said.

Contact: mcalligeros@fairfaxmedia.com.au




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