Who Picks Up Cardinal Pell’s Bill?

The New York Times
July 3, 2017

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/03/world/australia/pell-fairfax-penalty-rates-gig-economy.html?_r=0

The news that Cardinal George Pell had been charged with sexual offenses followed years of criticism that he had at best overlooked, and at worst covered up, the widespread abuse of children by clergymen in Australia. Photo by William West

The Roman Catholic Church won’t be footing the bill for Cardinal George Pell’s defense against sex offenses, Sydney’s archbishop, Anthony Fisher, confirmed in a statement last week.

Some Australian Catholics have taken up the mantle, setting up a fund for those who want to support Cardinal Pell in his legal battle. John Roskam, the executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, a conservative think tank, told News Corporation of the fund’s existence, which the think tank confirmed to The New York Times in an interview Monday morning. Evan Mulholland, media and communications manager at the think tank, said that Mr. Roskam had called the archdiocese on behalf of a friend and was given details about the fund. “A lot of our members have called up and asked how they can contribute,” he said.

Has the church paid legal fees in the past for priests? The church’s decision to not pay Cardinal Pell’s legal fees may reflect changing policies on how it deals with fallout. According to reports by Australia’s Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, church orders in Australia like the Marist Brothers and Christian Brothers have paid tens of millions in legal fees and settlements on behalf of their priests.

Notably, the Christian Brothers have continued to fund the defense of Brother Robert Charles Best, spending more than $1.5 million, according to the commission’s findings. He was convicted of sexual offenses against 11 children and sentenced to 10 years in prison this year.

In 2003, The Times reported that the Catholic archdiocese of Boston agreed to settle almost 550 lawsuits for 85 million United States dollars, largely paid for by insurance policies and the sale of church property.

Other churches have also paid for legal defenses: The West Australian recently reported that the Anglican Church covered Archbishop Roger Herft’s legal fees when he was called to testify to the commission about child sexual abuse.