Cardinal George Pell Must Humble Himself in Abuse Hearings in Rome

Sydney Morning Herald
February 20, 2016

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/cardinal-george-pell-must-humble-himself-in-abuse-hearings-in-rome-20160219-gmyq4j.html

Cardinal George Pell has been excused from appearing in person to answer questions connected to how the Catholic Church dealt with the abuse of children in the diocese of Ballarat.

The royal commission has excused George Pell from appearing in person to answer questions connected to how the Catholic Church dealt with the abuse of children in the diocese of Ballarat – but this week he faced the music nevertheless. A catchy, pull-no-punches ditty from multi-talented performer Tim Minchin challenged him to get on a plane to answer the commission's questions in person and called him a coward for not making the trip.

It helped raise $190,000 in four days to send survivors of abuse to Rome with the hope they can sit in on the cardinal's testimony when he gives it by video link later this month. Their desire is simple: they want the cardinal, whose doctors have given evidence he is too ill to fly back to Australia, to face the same conditions as they did when appearing before the commission.

But the cardinal's response was typically jarring, hiding behind procedure and lacking in the instinctive emotional intelligence, indeed humility, most of us want from our religious leaders, particularly those from an institution which has so profoundly failed some of its most vulnerable parishioners.

Cardinal Pell said he was prepared to meet the victims but that it was up to the commission to determine the arrangements for the video-link hearings. What stopped the cardinal from saying he understood the victims' point of view and would urge the commission to allow them to listen to his evidence or would use his position as the Vatican's third most senior official to help it find a suitable venue?

Worse, his statement read: "The cardinal has always helped victims, listened to them and considered himself their ally." As survivor David Ridsdale said: "That sounds to me like Cardinal Pell is blowing his own trumpet." And it is not supported by the recollections of victims.

Christine Foster, whose eldest daughters were abused by Father Kevin O'Donnell, recalls that when she and her husband raised fears with then Melbourne archbishop Pell that the scheme he was establishing to respond to claims of child abuse was merely a cost-saving measure, he replied: "If you don't like what we're doing, take us to court." The cardinal says he does not remember this exchange.

Then there is the Ellis case, where Cardinal Pell approved a take-no-prisoners approach in the legal fight against the claims of abuse victim John Ellis, partly, he has admitted, to discourage other victims from taking the church to court over child sex abuse claims.

Still, for all this sorry history of putting Church interests before that of victims, it is important to remember that Pell was not called before the commission accused of abusing anyone. The sensational claim this weekend that Victorian police are investigating him for "multiple' child sex abuse offences lacks detail and has not been substantiated. He has vehemently rejected the allegation and charges have not been laid. The timing of the leak is suspicious.

Arguably the most serious charge the cardinal stands accused of in the commission is that of attempting to bribe a victim, which he denies. His reputation is at stake and he is entitled to defend it.

But in doing so he must take to heart the suffering of his accusers, suffering which is immeasurably worse than anything he could face in the witness stand. He must be sensitive. He must be humble. He must understand the church can never do too much for victims.