AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail
‘Once again the Catholic Church is out of touch and closing ranks’: 60 Minutes hits back at Cardinal George Pell after he demands apology from sex abuse victim
By LEESA SMITH FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and CINDY TRAN
Australia’s highest ranking Catholic threatening legal action has not stopped the 60 Minutes TV program from hitting back at Cardinal George Pell and his fellow leaders across the country.
Child sex abuse victim Peter Saunders, who was handpicked by Pope Francis to sit on the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, broke his silence on last Sunday’s show about his thoughts on Cardinal Pell describing him as ‘dangerous’ and claiming his position was ‘untenable’.
Despite turning down invitations from 60 Minutes to respond to the damning remarks, Cardinal Pell remained tight-lipped – until after the show aired when a spokesperson stated that he was left with no choice but to seek legal advice.
‘The false and misleading claims made against His Eminence are outrageous,’ the statement said.
‘From his earliest action as an Archbishop, Cardinal Pell has taken a strong stand against child sexual abuse. There is no excuse for broadcasting incorrect and prejudicial material.’
But 60 Minutes journalist Tara Brown claimed otherwise and launched a scathing attack on Cardinal Pell and the Catholic Church within Australia on this Sunday’s program.
‘The Catholic Church in Australia stands in crisis,’ Brown announced at the beginning of the show.
‘The men who lead it have put themselves on a collision course with the victims of child sexual abuse by expressing their unfailing support for George Pell.’
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