AUSTRALIA
news.com.au
AN abuse survivor and member of Pope Francis’s child protection commission has expressed concern that George Pell is in charge of the panel’s finances.
BRITISH advocate Peter Saunders on the weekend called on the Pope to sack Cardinal Pell as the Vatican’s financial chief over allegations he helped cover up pedophile activity in Australia.
Now Mr Saunders has revealed the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors may not be able to do its job properly due to a lack of resources.
“George Pell is in the Pope’s cabinet, the inner sanctum, and is in charge of Vatican finances,” Mr Saunders told AAP on Monday.
“And the commission will largely be dictated to some extent by the resources that are made available to it … and my understanding is that there is some financial pressure already in this particular area and I’m pretty appalled at that.”
Mr Saunders said it was to the Pope’s “great credit” that he was looking to lay people – including some in Australia – to advise him.
But he noted the commission was only scheduled to meet twice yearly, which was inadequate.
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