AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times
February 20, 2016
Jim Boyle
Cardinal George Pell is in a unique position to assist a better understanding of how the Catholic Church leadership in Ballarat, Melbourne, Sydney and Rome responded to allegations and instances of clerical sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults.
Let’s look at some topics where complete, honest and forthright answers in his pending testimony to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse would be welcome.
How much did Father Pell know of any possible abuses by Gerald Ridsdale in Swan Hill when Pell followed him in that parish?
How much did he know of abusers in St Alipius’ parish when he shared a house with Ridsdale, and of the many other abusers in Ballarat including Day, Claffey, Coffey, Farrell, Fitzgerald, Morey, Parker, Ryan, Sheahan, Toomey, Ring, and Sproules?
How much did he know, what did he do, and how were situations actually handled when he was a consultor to Bishop Mulkearns and advised the bishop regarding parish appointments?
The cardinal says that when he was an assistant bishop in Melbourne, all authority (“competence”) resided with Archbishop Little until the archbishop’s health failed and Pell succeeded him. The Cardinal could explain how much he and other senior clergy knew of then-current abuse cases, and exactly what responsibility they accepted and what actions they undertook alongside Archbishop Little.
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