Lainie Anderson: Andrew Bolt Way off the Mark in Criticising Those Cynical at Cardinal George Pell’s Reasons for Not Returning to Australia

By Lainie Anderson
The Advertiser
February 20, 2016

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/lainie-anderson-andrew-bolt-way-off-the-mark-in-criticising-those-cynical-at-cardinal-georgepells-reasons-for-not-returning-to-australia/news-story/7925851eaa74a5b46e4f9fde2fe01ed7

Disgusting. Frightening.” I think that’s a fair summation of how many of us feel about children being abused at the hands of clergy.

Late last year, Cardinal George Pell claimed he was too ill to return to Australia to appear for a third time before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Debate has raged ever since. Some believe Pell is pulling a fast one, and it certainly makes you wonder how the 74-year-old is managing to hold down a high-powered financial role at the Vatican when his health is so poorly that he can’t catch a business class flight home to Australia.

One cynic is comedian Tim Minchin who, during the week, released a damning song Come Home (Cardinal Pell) to help raise money for Ballarat church abuse victims keen to be in Rome when the Cardinal testifies via video link from February 29.

The song went viral, helping to generate more than $170,000 for the online crowd-funding effort.

It also generated fierce condemnation from the likes of commentator Andrew Bolt.