BishopAccountability.org

George Pell charges hit home town again

By Sue Neales
Australian
July 03, 2017

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/cardinal-determined-to-clear-his-name-bishop/news-story/58c04662c0b7a2a0be9024590747d667

Ballarat’s Bishop Paul Bird greets parishioners outside St Patrick’s Cathedral yesterday.
Photo by David Geraghty

A chill wind was blowing through the Victorian gold-rush town of Ballarat, as local Catholics gathered for their first Sunday mass since police laid multiple histor­ical sex charges against Cardinal George Pell.

For a community that has already­ been at the heart of the Royal Commission into Instit­utional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse — and where six Catholic priests, including notorious pedophile Gerald Ridsdale, have been convicted of dozens of sex offences — a sense of tired resignation pervaded.

At Ballarat’s imposing bluestone St Patrick’s Cathedral, where hundreds of coloured ribbon­s tied to wrought-iron fence posts are poignant reminders of the community’s support for abuse victims and survivors, Bishop Paul Bird urged the congregati­on yesterday to pray for “all those who will be involved” in court proceedings in coming months.

At the first opportunity, Bishop Bird spoke directly about the unspecified sex-abuse charges against Cardinal Pell — a Ballarat local who has risen to the top echelons of the Vatican.

“Cardinal Pell has denied all allegations and will be returning to Australia to face the charges in court; he is determined to clear his name,” Bishop Bird said.

“Court proceedings are stressful for everyone involved and there is likely to be added stress because of the publicity surrounding this case. I ask for your prayers for Cardinal Pell, and to pray for victims of crime and the community in general.”

The Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, also raised the Cardinal Pell matter during mass at St Mary’s Cathedral yesterday.

“The George Pell I know is a man of integrity in his dealings with others, a man of faith and high ideals, a thoroughly decent man,” he said.

“Where complaints of abuse are made, victims should be listened­ to with respect and compassio­n and their complaints investigated and dealt with according­ to the law.”

The sermons came amid report­s that a fighting fund had been set up to help finance the cardinal’s impending legal expenses­. Details of the fund have been circulated among prominent Catholics after it emerged that the Sydney archdiocese would not pay for his defence.

Outside St Patrick’s Cathedral yesterday, parishioner Margaret Henderson said she no longer knew what to think or believe.

She said the past few years had been “terribly difficult” for the conservative Catholic town, as more allegations of persistent sexual abuse by Catholic priests had emerged.

“So many of (the allegations) ... were swept under the carpet at the time, and so badly dealt with by the church, all we can do now is pull together,” she said.




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