'He lives his life among treasures and wealth': Man abused as child by Catholic teacher slams the Pope for 'protecting' Cardinal George Pell by letting him hide out at the Vatican

By Belinda Cleary
Daily Mail
February 14, 2017

https://goo.gl/J4xX2c

Vet, Dr Robert Zammit, pictured, has hit out at Pope Francis, calling on him to ' stop protecting' Australian Cardinal George Pell

Dr Zammit, pictured, didn't tell anyone about the abuse he suffered as a teenager because he felt he couldn't now he wants children who are abused to feel comfortable coming forward

Pell, pictured, is currently residing at the Vatican - and has refused to fly to Australia - on medical grounds

Pope Francis with Cardinal Pell in Vatican City, 2015 - Dr Zammit wants the Cardinal to face questions in Australia about child abuse within the church

Dr Zammit wrote a book about a young boy abused at the hands of and adult in the church - this was published in 2014 and was the first his mother new of the abuse he suffered in the 1970s

Dr Zammit says he doesn't want any person faced with decision like that in the future and is calling for the church to bring justice down on the religious men who were involved (the Vatican pictured)

A man who suffered at the hands of a Catholic paedophile as a teenager in the 1970s is calling for Cardinal George Pell to face child abuse allegations and resign so victims of abuse by member's of the church can 'finally' have closure.

Robert Zammit left school aged 16 to escape the clutches of a paedophile teacher – he told Daily Mail Australia he couldn't speak out about his abuse at the time or for decades afterward because 'it wasn't talked about'.

Dr Zammit wants Cardinal Pell to return to Australia and answer to allegations the country's most senior Catholic ignored abuse claims.

The senior Catholic has refused to fly from Rome to Australia on medical grounds to answer calls from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney.

The angry victim has compiled an open letter to Pope Francis demanding the church act and stop letting the Cardinal 'hide' behind the walls of the Vatican.

'He lives his life among treasures and wealth, while those affected by his lack of responsibility, his lack of actions, remain within the cells of conflict for what was done to them, remain within the prison of the abuse inflicted upon them and remain in a life that finds acceptance of normality an impossibility.

'Though some have avoided a life of pain through the taking of their own life. And yet, Pell still sleeps comfortably within the Vatican,' he wrote.

Dr Zammit kept quiet about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his teacher until 2014 when he published a book titled 'Bless me, Father' which outlined the abuse of a boy at a Catholic school. 

'My mother realised I had been abused when she read the book. I hadn't spoken openly about it until then,' he said.

He told Daily Mail Australia he wants the Pope to take action and force Cardinal Pell back to Australia so victims of child sex offences feel comfortable speaking out when it happens. 

'I want people to be able to speak up when they are abused,' he said. 

After his book was published Dr Zammit realised he was not the only boy in his year who had suffered at the hands of the paedophile teacher. 

'I thought it had only happened to myself and a friend but two people have contacted me in recent years to tell me about their abuse as well. 

'I don't know how many people were abused, but it was obviously a lot more than I realised.' 

While the book is fiction it does centre around the type of abuse Dr Zammit and one of his closest friends were subjected to. 

While the book is fiction it does centre around the type of abuse Dr Zammit and one of his closest friends were subjected to. 

The bitter disappointment Dr Zammit feels towards the church, which he is still a member of, is reflected in the letter.

'The Vatican moral corruption has seeped into the very vestments worn by priests and brothers as a sign that they cannot be touched.

'Now is the time to drain the swamp!'

He sent the letter last week – and while he doesn't expect a response from the Pope himself he does hope it helps force his hand. 

'Pope Francis, you promised a new era of austerity for members of the Church; of protection to those who genuinely seek refuge from poverty, tyranny and abuse.

'Pope Francis, you recently wrote on Twitter ''Let us hear the cry of the many children who are enslaved. No one must remain indifferent to their sorrow.''

'What about those enslaved in their world of abuse? Those punished because they spoke up about their abuse? And those enslaved because they feared to speak of it?'

The Catholic man then called for the church to 'rid itself of the entrenched evil'. 'Cardinal Pell please do us all a favour and resign,' he said as he signed off the letter.

Dr Zammit, who came to Australia as a boy with his family became a vet after leaving school early due to his abuse. 

At first they were worried when he signed out of school, and it took decades of them to realise just why he felt he had to leave.

Dr Zammit says he doesn't want any person faced with decision like that in  the future and is calling for the church to bring justice down on the religious men who were involved.  

Dr Zammit says he doesn't want any person faced with decision like that in  the future and is calling for the church to bring justice down on the religious men who were involved.