Cardinal George Pell admits ‘indefensible’ errors in abuse crisis

By Rosie Scammell
ReligiNews Service
February 29, 2016

http://www.religionnews.com/2016/02/29/cardinal-george-pell-admits-indefensible-errors-abuse-crisis/

Victims and relatives of children who claim they were sexually abused by the Catholic Church hold placards as they stand outside the venue for Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney, Australia, February 29, 2016. Australian Cardinal George Pell on Monday becomes the highest-ranking Vatican official to testify on sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church at a hearing that victims have flown half way around the world to attend. Photo by David Gray

ROME (RNS) Australian Cardinal George Pell, now a top adviser to Pope Francis, testified in a landmark clergy sex abuse inquiry that the Catholic Church made “enormous mistakes” in trying to deal with the scandal.

Speaking to an Australian commission investigating the church’s response to abuse, Pell — who had previously been archbishop in Sydney — also said that during the 1970s he was “very strongly inclined to accept the denial” of a priest accused of abuse.

The 74-year-old Pell, who serves as the Vatican’s finance chief, appeared before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse late Sunday (Feb. 28) via video link from a Rome hotel because he said a heart condition prevented him from traveling.

As he rose through the ranks of the Australian church, Pell recalled that numerous allegations “certainly were dismissed and sometimes they were dismissed in absolutely scandalous circumstances.”

“They were very, very plausible allegations made by responsible people that were not followed up sufficiently,” he added during the four hours of testimony.

Pell met with Francis on Monday (Feb. 29), the morning after his opening testimony, which is expected to continue over the next few days. As is the custom, the Vatican provided no information on the meeting.

The decision to allow Pell to testify via video has been strongly criticized by abuse victims, and a crowdfunding effort in Australia enabled some 15 of them to travel to Italy to be present.

Pell has appeared before the commission twice before and in the latest session said the church had made grave errors in its handling of abuse.

“The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those, but the church in many places, certainly in Australia, has mucked things up, has made — let people down. I’m not here to defend the indefensible,” he said.

Overall, Pell said such failures were personal rather than institutional mistakes.

During Pell’s questioning in Rome, he was also asked about specific cases, including the case of Gerald Ridsdale, a former priest who was convicted on multiple counts of abusing children as young as four.

Pell told the commission he was unaware that Ronald Mulkearns, the bishop overseeing Ridsdale in the Ballarat diocese, had sent the priest away for treatment over his sexual crimes. Ridsdale was also moved between diocese and continued abusing children.

“The way he was dealt with was a catastrophe, a catastrophe for the victims and a catastrophe for the church. If effective action had been taken earlier, an enormous amount of suffering would have been avoided,” said Pell.

The cardinal has previously denied allegations by a victim of Risdale that Pell tried to pay him for his silence. Risdale’s nephew, David Risdale, told the royal commission last year that Pell tried to bribe him after being told he was abused by his uncle.

“At no time did I attempt to bribe David Ridsdale or his family or offer any financial inducements for him to be silent,” Pell said at the time.

The cardinal’s nighttime testimony is due to continue late Monday, to account for the time difference with the commission in Australia, with one or two further sessions to be held in the coming days.