Victims’ plead with Pell to ‘tell the truth’ as he fronts royal commission

By Shannon Deery And Charles Miranda
Herald Sun
February 28, 2016

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victims-plead-with-pell-to-tell-the-truth-as-he-fronts-royal-commission/news-story/4b6ba3c7a5f1eb33482b0250f0f8d8d0

Cardinal George Pell will come under the toughest scrutiny of his career when he is asked to explain how he ­remained unaware of the child sexual abuse crisis that plagued the Catholic Church. Photo by Giulio Origlia

Abuse victims David Ridsdale, centre, and Andrew Collins, right, speak to the press at Rome Airport, ahead of Cardinal George Pell giving evidence to the Royal Commission into child sex abuse. Photo by David Mirzoeff

Pell will be questioned for up to four hours a day from 8am, for three to four days. Photo by Andrew Medichini

CARDINAL George Pell will today come under the toughest scrutiny of his career when he is asked to explain how he ­remained unaware of the child sexual abuse crisis that plagued the Catholic Church.

But he will not be quizzed over a present Victoria Police investigation into allegations he abused up to 10 boys — ­allegations he emphatically denies.

Cardinal Pell, the Vatican’s third most powerful figure, has long maintained he knew nothing of the crimes being committed by his fellow clergy on hundreds of innocent children across Victoria.

Up to 20 survivors, and supporters, from the Ballarat area have gone to Rome to watch the cardinal give evidence to the Royal Commission into ­Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Chrissie Foster, whose daughters were abused by paedophile priest Kevin O’Donnell, said she hoped Cardinal Pell would make full and frank admissions.

“Tell the truth, tell the truth, be honest, be a man, and do what you should have done a long time ago,” she said.

The royal commission will probe claims Cardinal Pell turned a blind eye to sex crimes, was involved in shuffling problem priests between parishes and was complicit in a widespread cover-up of abuse.

Much of that abuse was perpetrated in the Ballarat diocese in the 1970s and 1980s.

In that time paedophiles ­including Gerald Ridsdale were being routinely shuffled between parishes by then-bishop Ronald Mulkearns.

Cardinal Pell has persistently denied any knowledge of Ridsdale’s offending until Ridsdale was charged in 1993.

It will be the cardinal’s third appearance before the royal commission, and the second via videolink from Rome.

He will be questioned for up to four hours a day, from 8am, for three to four days.

Police have been deployed to lock down the venue, a room inside the Hotel Quirinale.

Cardinal Pell yesterday tied a ribbon to a fence inside the Vatican Gardens, a gesture mirroring a campaign by Ballarat survivors in which hundreds of ribbons have been tied to fences on church property.

“I am aware of the Loud Fence movement,” he said.

“This is my gesture of support, especially for the people of Ballarat.”

“I hope the coming days will eventually lead to healing for everyone.”

Cardinal Pell has agreed to meet victims of abuse after the hearing.