AUSTRALIA
Pedestrian TV
[with Twitter postings]
Even with the incomprehensibly horrible subject matter under investigation in the Victorian Parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse, the testimony given by Australia’s most senior Catholic cleric, Cardinal George Pell, was categorically shocking.
Shocking because of Pell’s admission that the Catholic church has been complicit in covering up child sex abuse. He said, “I am happy to accept the invitation of the Premier [Denis Napthine] and to say that I’m fully apologetic and absolutely sorry, and that is the basis for everything on which I’ll say now.”
It was shocking because of the reasoning Pell gave to explain why sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy had been systemically covered up by the Church: “… The primary motivation would have been to respect the reputation of the church,” he said.
Shocking, was his reference to “the gospels” in explaining the support he had shown former priest and convicted serial child abuser, Gerald Ridsdale. Pell’s testimony on this matter was: “I felt there was something in the gospels where Christ speaks about being with the lowest of the low. As an expression of solidarity, I gave that limited support.”
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.