AUSTRALIA
Sky News
The Catholic Church of Melbourne is urging Australians to give George Pell a fair go, saying the cardinal has worked hard to rid the church of the evil of clergy sexual abuse.
Following damning criticism of Cardinal Pell in the wake of the Royal Commission into child sex abuse in Ballarat, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has responded with a statement urging people to hold off from making hasty judgments.
Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart said today he hopes all Australians who believe in a fair go will give Cardinal Pell the opportunity to answer the criticisms that have been raised in both the Royal Commission and the media before drawing any final conclusions. In a statement on Monday the royal commission said international residents could not be summonsed to appear at a hearing.
But because Cardinal Pell has expressed his intention to fully co-operate with the investigations they would ask him to give evidence.
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