AUSTRALIA
The Courier
By FIONA HENDERSON May 27, 2013
Cardinal George Pell’s appearance at the state government inquiry into institutionalised child abuse was less than convincing yesterday.
Cardinal Pell blustered his way through some tough grilling, exchanging particularly terse words with committee member Andrea Coote over any potential church compensation.
He gave long-winded answers, often veered off topic and was critical of a committee decision not to allow him a brief opening statement, which is in line with previous testimonies by anyone dealing with abused children.
He constantly defended the church’s actions but provoked laughter when he accidentally referred to the Holy See as a company.
A huge crowd turned up for Cardinal Pell’s appearance, with the Parliament House Legislative Council committee room and a second viewing area both overflowing.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.