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Pell denies knowing about Ballarat abuses

Sky News
February 29, 2016

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/02/29/pell-denies-knowing-about-ballarat-abuses.html


Cardinal George Pell heard rumours about pedophile priests and suspected a Christian Brother might have been involved in 'pedophilic activity' but insists he was unaware of sexual abuse and cover-ups across the Ballarat diocese in the 1970s.

Child abuse survivors from Australia had a front-row seat in Rome as they watched Cardinal Pell sit late into the night to give evidence to the child abuse royal commission via a video link back to Sydney.

Their reaction was mixed: welcoming of a more conciliatory tone but cautious about what they saw as the cardinal's careful choice of words.

The Australian cleric now in charge of the Vatican's finances told the commission he had heard rumours of abuse and inappropriate behaviour by priests and brothers in the Victorian diocese of Ballarat in the early 1970s.

However, he said he did not know about actual offences or receive direct complaints and had no power to act even if he had wanted to.

In one case a student at St Patrick's College Ballarat told Dr Pell - then a junior priest in the Ballarat East parish - about a Christian Brother, Edward Dowlan, who was reportedly 'touching' boys at the school.

Dr Pell said there were 'one or two fleeting references' to 'misbehaviour by Dowlan which I concluded might have been pedophilic activity'.

However, Dr Pell said he only received 'unspecified' information about Br Dowlan and when the brother left the school he didn't know if it was because of 'indiscretions or crimes'.

In another case, there was talk about another brother, Br Fitzgerald, being 'eccentric' by kissing boys at a diocesan primary school, St Alipius.

Dr Pell said it was 'common knowledge and the general conviction was it was harmless enough'.

'Nobody said we've got to do something about this,' he said.

'I could have mentioned it to the principal or the parish priest but I had no jurisdiction in any sense over the Christian Brothers.'

Cardinal Pell was also the diocese episcopal vicar for education - the bishop's representative in all areas of education and 'a significant source of advice to the bishop', the commission heard.

Despite the role, he said he rarely visited schools - except perhaps for the blessing of a new building or extension - because he was a full-time academic at the Institute of Catholic Education.

Dr Pell said he heard gossip in the early 1970s about Mildura parish priest Monsignor John Day being accused of pedophile activity.

'I must say in those days if a priest denied such activity I was very strongly inclined to accept the denial,' he said.

Dr Pell described the handling of notorious pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale by his former superior, Bishop Ronald Mulkearns, as 'a catastrophe' for victims and the church, as Ridsdale was moved around parishes to commit more offences.

Dr Pell admitted the church had made 'enormous mistakes' in its handling of sexual abuse by priests and told the commission he was not there to 'defend the indefensible'.

Supporters group leader David Ridsdale said Dr Pell had shown 'a more conciliatory tone'.

His group had expected the cardinal to continue to put the church before victims but 'there were some statements said that were certainly more constructive than previously,' Mr Ridsdale said.

'But in saying that, there was a very careful selection of words.'

Dr Pell will return to the witness stand in Rome on Tuesday to continue his evidence.




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