AUSTRALIA/ROME
Herald Sun

February 21, 2016

Patrick Carlyon, Sunday Herald Sun, Melbourne

CARDINAL George Pell was in bed on the other side of the world when the Herald Sun rang his office on Friday afternoon. The newspaper was seeking comment. Victoria police was investigating historical claims that Pell had sexually abused five to 10 boys. The global time difference did not matter. Pell’s denial was swift and unequivocal. They always are.

Pell “strongly denied” the “utterly false” claims. This denial was different to all the others over the past decade. It had to be. The words were measured, as always, and bolstered with adverbs for fullest effect. The outrage bristled. Yet this statement was not about Pell’s knowledge of or response to pedophile priests. Cardinal George Pell had to address new allegations from the past -— his own history — of acts he himself has described as “profoundly evil…