ROME
7 News
AAP
Cardinal George Pell says he was lied to and deceived by a bishop and priests who knew about the child sexual abuse crimes of a fellow clergyman, who was repeatedly moved to new parishes where he continued to offend.
Cardinal Pell told the child abuse royal commission that while he didn’t know why Father Gerald Ridsdale was moved on to new parishes in the Victorian diocese of Ballarat in the 1970s, Bishop Ronald Mulkearns and other priests knew of repeated paedophilia allegations.
Commissioner Justice Peter McClellan asked: “You say the bishop deceived you, is that right?”
Cardinal Pell replied: “Unfortunately, correct.”
An advisor to the bishop, Monsignor Fiscalini, deceived him as well, Cardinal Pell said.
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