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George Pell

January 12, 2023

George Pell AC (8 June 1941 – 10 January 2023) was an Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the inaugural prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy between 2014 and 2019, and was a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers between 2013 and 2018. Ordained a priest in 1966 and bishop in 1987, he was made a cardinal in 2003. Pell served as the eighth Archbishop of Sydney (2001–2014), the seventh Archbishop of Melbourne (1996–2001) and an auxiliary bishop of Melbourne (1987–1996). He was also an author, columnist and public speaker.[2] From 1996, Pell maintained a high public profile on a wide range of issues, while retaining an adherence to Catholic orthodoxy.

His Eminence

George Pell

AC
Pell in 2012
ChurchCatholic Church
Appointed24 February 2014
Term ended24 February 2019
SuccessorJuan Antonio Guerrero Alves
Other post(s)Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello (2003–2023)
Orders
Ordination16 December 1966
by Gregorio Pietro Agagianian
Consecration21 May 1987
by Frank Little
Created cardinal21 October 2003
by John Paul II
RankCardinal priest
Personal details
Born(1941-06-08)8 June 1941
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Died10 January 2023(2023-01-10) (aged 81)
Rome, Italy[1]
Previous post(s)
Education
Motto
  • Nolite timere
  • ("Be not afraid")
Signature
Coat of arms
Ordination history of
George Pell
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained byGregorio Pietro Agagianian (Pref. Sacr. Cong. Prop. Fide)
Date16 December 1966
PlaceSt. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorFrank Little (Melbourne)
Co-consecrators
Date21 May 1987
PlaceSt Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
Cardinalate
Elevated byPope John Paul II
Date21 October 2003
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by George Pell as principal consecrator
Denis Hart9 December 1997
Joseph Grech10 February 1999
Christopher Toohey30 August 2001
Julian Porteous3 September 2003
Anthony Fisher3 September 2003
Terence Brady16 November 2007
Michael McKenna26 June 2009
Peter Comensoli8 June 2011
William Wright15 June 2011
Styles of
George Pell
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal

Pell worked as a priest in rural Victoria and in Melbourne and also chaired the aid organisation Caritas Australia (part of Caritas Internationalis) from 1988 to 1997. He was appointed a delegate to the Australian Constitutional Convention in 1998, received the Centenary Medal from the Australian government in 2003 and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2005. During his tenure as Archbishop of Melbourne, Pell set up the "Melbourne Response" protocol in 1996 to investigate and deal with complaints of child sexual abuse in the archdiocese.[3][4] The protocol was the first of its kind in the world but has been subjected to a variety of criticisms.[3][5]

In 2018 Pell was found guilty of child sexual abuse, but the convictions were later quashed by the High Court of Australia in 2020.[6] A separate investigation by the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith into these allegations of abuse concluded upon his acquittal by the High Court.[7][8]

According to findings released by Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2020, Pell knew of child sexual abuse by clergy by the 1970s but did not take adequate action to address it. Pell said he was "surprised" and that the commission's views "are not supported by evidence".[9]

Early life and education

Pell was born on 8 June 1941 in Ballarat, Victoria,[10] to George Arthur and Margaret Lillian Pell (née Burke).[11] His father was a non-practising Anglican whose ancestors were from Leicestershire in England; he was also a heavyweight boxing champion.[12] His mother was a devout Catholic of Irish descent.[13]: 21  As a child, Pell underwent 24 operations to remove an abscess in his throat.[13]: 25 

Pell attended Loreto Convent and St Patrick's College in Ballarat.[14] At St Patrick's, he played Australian rules football as a ruckman on the first XVIII from 1956 to 1959.[15] He reportedly signed with the Richmond Football Club in 1959. Pell's ambitions later turned to the priesthood. Speaking of his decision to enter seminary, Pell once said, "To put it crudely, I feared and suspected and eventually became convinced that God wanted me to do His work, and I was never able to successfully escape that conviction."[13]: 34 

In 1960, Pell began his studies for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College, then located in Werribee.[14][a] He continued to play football and served as class prefect in his second and third years.[13]: 41–42  In 1963, he was assigned to continue studies at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.[15] He was ordained to the diaconate on 15 August 1966.[11]

Ecclesiastical career

Priesthood

On 16 December 1966, Pell was ordained a priest by Cardinal Gregorio Pietro Agagianian[16] at St. Peter's Basilica.[17] He received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontificia Università Urbaniana in 1967, and continued his studies at the University of Oxford where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in church history in 1971 with a thesis entitled "The exercise of authority in early Christianity from about 170 to about 270".[11][18] During his studies at Oxford he also served as a chaplain to Catholic students at Eton College.[19]

In 1971, Pell returned to Australia and was assigned to serve as an assistant priest in Swan Hill, where he remained for two years.[11] He then served at a parish in Ballarat East from 1973 to 1983, becoming administrator of the parish of Bungaree in 1984.[11] In 1982, he earned a Master of Education degree from Monash University in Melbourne.[14] During his tenure in Ballarat East and Bungaree, he also served as Episcopal Vicar for Education (1973–84), director of the Aquinas campus of the Institute of Catholic Education (1974–84) and principal of the Institute of Catholic Education (1981–84).[14][10] He was also editor of Light, the newspaper of the Diocese of Ballarat, from 1979 to 1984.[11]

From 1985 to 1987, Pell served as seminary rector of his alma mater, Corpus Christi College.[14]

Diocesan episcopal career

Pell was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Melbourne and titular Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scala (Italy) on 30 March 1987. He received his episcopal consecration on 21 May 1987 from Archbishop Frank Little, with bishops Ronald Mulkearns and Joseph O'Connell serving as co-consecrators. He served as Bishop for the Southern Region of Melbourne (1987–96). During this time, he was a parish priest in Mentone.[14]

Pell was named seventh Archbishop of Melbourne on 16 July 1996, receiving the pallium from Pope John Paul II on 29 June 1997. He was later appointed eighth Archbishop of Sydney on 26 March 2001 and again received the pallium from John Paul on 29 June 2001.[20]

Pell was a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 1990 to 1995 and a member from 2002. From 1990 to 2000 he was a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In April 2002, John Paul II named him President of the Vox Clara commission to advise the Congregation for Divine Worship on English translations of liturgical texts.[20] On 21 December 2002 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family,[21] having previously served as a consultor to the council. On 22 September 2012, Pell was appointed a member of the Congregation for Bishops.[22]

As Archbishop of Melbourne, Pell maintained a high public profile on a wide range of issues, while retaining a strict adherence to Catholic orthodoxy; with some dispute over the issue of Catholics and "primacy of conscience".[23][24]

In 2001, he argued: "We must not allow the situation to deteriorate as it had in Elijah's time, 850 years before Christ, where monotheism was nearly swamped by the aggressive paganism of the followers of Baal." In 2010, on reviewing the movie Avatar, he wrote: "Worship of the powerful forces of nature is half right, a primitive stage in the movement towards acknowledging the one: the single Transcendent God, above and beyond nature. It is a symptom of our age that Hollywood is pumping out this old-fashioned pagan propaganda."[25]

Pope John Paul II announced on 28 September 2003 that he would appoint Pell and 28 others to the College of Cardinals.[26] In the consistory of 21 October he was made cardinal priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello.[27] With Pell as cardinal, Australia had, for the first time, three cardinals eligible to participate in a papal election: Pell, Edward Bede Clancy and Edward Idris Cassidy.[28]

Pell was one of the cardinal electors in 2005 who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI. He is reported to have served as an unauthorised "campaign manager" for Ratzinger.[29][30] Pell was mentioned as a possible successor to Benedict XVI as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.[30]

Pell instituted new guidelines in February 2007 for family members speaking at funerals. He said that, "on not a few occasions, inappropriate remarks glossing over the deceased's proclivities (drinking prowess, romantic conquests etc) or about the Church (attacking its moral teachings) have been made at funeral Masses." Under Pell's guidelines, the eulogy must never replace the celebrant's homily, which should focus on the scripture readings selected, God's compassion, and the resurrection of Jesus.[31]

 
Pell in Rome in 2007

Pell lobbied for the successful Sydney bid to host the 2008 World Youth Day,[32] which brought Benedict XVI on his first papal visit to Australia.[33] The event drew approximately half a million young people from 200 countries, and one million people came to see the Pope. On 19 July 2008, Benedict issued his first public apology to victims of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests.[34]

In their 2010 Good Friday sermons, both Pell and his Anglican counterpart Archbishop Peter Jensen attacked atheism.[35][36] Both men were also closely aligned on policy issues[37] and Jensen launched Pell's biography.[38]

On 18 September 2012 Pell was named by Benedict XVI to be one of the papally appointed Synod Fathers for the October 2012 Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.[39]

Pell was the only cardinal from Oceania to take part in the 2013 papal conclave.[40] At that conclave, he was thought to be organising votes on behalf of Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, the favourite candidate of the Italian cardinals.[41]

Following his election, Pope Francis named Pell, the only non-retired cardinal available to represent Oceania,[41] [42] one of eight members to advise the Pope on reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, called the Roman Curia; they were appointed to five-year terms.[43][44]

Secretariat for the Economy

In February 2014, Pell was appointed to be the first prefect of the newly created Secretariat for the Economy.[45] In this role, Pell was responsible for the annual budget of the Holy See and the Vatican.[46] In July 2014 Pell, with the consent of Pope Francis, had the Ordinary Section of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) transferred to the Secretariat for the Economy to enable the Secretariat to exercise economic control and vigilance over the agencies of the Holy See. It was also announced that remaining staff of APSA would begin to focus exclusively on its role as a treasury for the Holy See and the Vatican City State.[47]

Following the confirmation of the mission of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR – also known as the Vatican Bank) by the Pope on 7 April 2014, the IOR announced plans for the next stage of development. The Council of Cardinal Advisers, the Secretariat for the Economy, the Supervisory Commission of Cardinals, and the IOR Board of Superintendence agreed that this plan would be carried out by a new executive team led by Jean-Baptiste de Franssu.[47]

Pell was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on 13 September 2014.[48] In November 2014, the Secretariat for the Economy distributed a new handbook to all Vatican offices outlining financial management policies that would go into effect on 1 January 2015. The manual was endorsed by the Council for the Economy and approved by the Pope. "The purpose of the manual is very simple," said Pell, "it brings Financial Management practices in line with international standards and will help all Entities and Administrations of the Holy See and the Vatican City State prepare financial reports in a consistent and transparent manner."[49] In 2015, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio questioned the scope of the authority given to the Secretariat and to Pell himself, specifically the consolidation of management and not the demand for transparency.[50][51]

On 12 December 2018, the Vatican announced that Pell was one of three "more elderly" cardinals who were to leave the Pope's Council of Cardinal Advisers after a five-year term. The three were also thanked by the Pope for their service.[52] On 24 February 2019, his five-year term as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy expired.[53]

Vatican investigation of sexual abuse charges

Immediately following Pell's initial conviction for sexual abuse in February 2019, the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) initiated its own investigation of the charges against him,[54][b] but the Vatican also said the CDF would await a "definitive judgment" from the Australian courts in the case. The Pope reaffirmed at that time that Pell was "forbidden to exercise public ministry and ... from having contact in any way or form with minors", restrictions that had been in place since Pell's return to Australia in July 2017.[56] When Pell's conviction was upheld in August 2019, the Vatican again said its review would wait for Pell to exhaust his appeals.[57] When Pell's convictions were quashed in April 2020, a Vatican spokesperson said that ruling would contribute to the CDF's investigation which would "draw its conclusions on the basis of the norms of canon law".[58] The CDF's investigations concluded upon Pell's acquittal by the High Court.[8]

Illness and death

In January 2010, Pell experienced cardiac problems during his Vatican visit, and in February had a pacemaker fitted in a Rome hospital.[59] In 2015, Pell's doctors judged his heart condition serious enough to prevent air travel from Italy to Australia to appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He was expected to be well enough to travel in February 2016.[60] However, he was excused from giving evidence in person by commission chair Justice Peter McClellan, based on a two-page medical report submitted by Pell's lawyers.[61] He testified from a hotel in Rome through a video link up.[62] In December 2018, he underwent knee surgery.[63] He recovered sufficiently to stop using a cane by June 2019.[64] In February 2019, when he was taken into custody following his conviction, an assessment of his mental and physical health concluded he was healthy enough to be kept in HM Melbourne Assessment Prison.[65]

On 10 January 2023, at the age of 81, Pell died of cardiac arrest following hip surgery at the Salvator Mundi hospital in Rome, having attended the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI a few days earlier.[66][67] Plans were announced to return Pell's remains to Australia and bury them at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney following his funeral at the Vatican.[68][67]

Views

In the Australian context, Pell was regarded as progressive on some issues such as asylum seekers but strongly conservative on matters of faith and morals.[69] He was often wary of what he called the "callousness" of unrestrained capitalism. He wrote that a Catholic is someone who is not only a person of personal conscience but "is someone who believes Christ is Son of God, accepts His teachings and lives a life of worship, service and duty in the community. Catholics are not created by the accident of birth to remain only because their tribe has an interesting history."[70]

Theology and worship

Ad orientem liturgy

In 2009 Pell supported, in the abstract but not as a proposal for immediate application, mandatory celebration of the Canon of the Mass with the orientation of the priest ad orientem (towards the east), facing in the same direction as the congregation. "There's nothing like a consensus in favour of that at the moment", he said. "I think I would be in favour of it because it makes it patently clear that the priest is not the centre of the show, that this is an act of worship of the one true God, and the people are joining with the priest for that."[71]

Adam and Eve

During a debate against Richard Dawkins on the television show Q&A in 2012, in response to whether there had ever been a Garden of Eden scenario with an "actual" Adam and Eve, Pell said:[72][73]

Adam and Eve are terms – what do they mean: life and earth. It's like every man. That's a beautiful, sophisticated, mythological account. It's not science but it's there to tell us two or three things. First of all that God created the world and the universe. Secondly, that the key to the whole of universe, the really significant thing, are humans and, thirdly, it is a very sophisticated mythology to try to explain the evil and suffering in the world.

Ordination of women and priestly celibacy

In 2005 Pell supported the view that the ordination of women as priests is impossible according to the church's divine constitution and said that abandoning the tradition of clerical celibacy would be a "serious blunder".[74]

Pope Benedict XVI

Pell said that the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to retire in 2013 could set a precedent which may be a problem for future leaders. He thought Benedict's decision to step down had destabilised the church and some of those surrounding the Pope had failed to support him in his ministry. "He was well aware that this is a break with tradition [and] slightly destabilising", Pell said. According to him, the Pope was a better theologian than he was a leader.[75]

In response to the statement that he had criticised Benedict XVI, Pell said he was stating what the Pope already mentioned himself, and his comments were "not breaking any ground".[75] During a youth conference in Parramatta, Bishop Anthony Fisher said that Pell was merely "stating the pros and cons of the Pope's decision" and those who said his comments were critical were taking him out of context.[76]

Political issues

Asylum seekers and refugees

Pell criticised the bipartisan policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers in Australia and called for "empathy and compassion" towards displaced peoples.[77] Pell said that while a policy of deterrence was justifiable, the practice of the policy was coming at too great a "moral cost".[78] Describing conditions in some of Australia's mandatory detention camps in 2001 as "pretty tight and miserable" and "no place for women and children", Pell called for investigation of any maltreatment of detainees and said that, while Australia has the right to regulate the number of refugees it accepts, as a rich and prosperous country, it can "afford to be generous" and must treat humanely those refugees who reach Australia.[79]

Environmental positions

In a 2006 speech, Pell said that "hysterical and extreme claims" about the natural environment were the result of the "pagan emptiness" of Western culture. He said: "In the past pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods. Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions."[80] In a 2007 article for the Sydney Sunday Telegraph, Pell wrote that while climate had changed, he was "certainly sceptical about extravagant claims of impending man-made climatic catastrophes, because the evidence is insufficient".[81]

Responding to the Anglican bishop and environmentalist George Browning, who told the Anglican Church of Australia's general synod that Pell was out of touch with the Catholic Church as well as with the general community,[82] Pell stated:[83]

Radical environmentalists are more than up to the task of moralising their own agenda and imposing it on people through fear. They don't need church leaders to help them with this, although it is a very effective way of further muting Christian witness. Church leaders in particular should be allergic to nonsense ... I am certainly sceptical about extravagant claims of impending man-made climatic catastrophes. Uncertainties on climate change abound ... my task as a Christian leader is to engage with reality, to contribute to debate on important issues, to open people's minds, and to point out when the emperor is wearing few or no clothes.

In July 2015, Pell criticised Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si' for associating the church with the need to address climate. Pell said:[84]

It's got many, many interesting elements. There are parts of it which are beautiful. But the church has no particular expertise in science ... the church has got no mandate from the Lord to pronounce on scientific matters. We believe in the autonomy of science.

Pell publicly expressed concern regarding population decline in July 2008 in a homily for the opening Mass of the World Youth Day in Sydney, in response to comments made by Pope Benedict XVI regarding climate change. While travelling to Sydney for the event, Benedict stated in a brief interview that Catholics and others must commit "to finding an ethical way to change our way of life and ways to respond to these great challenges" regarding climate change. Pell stated in his homily that mankind has a duty not "to damage and destroy or ruthlessly use the environment at the expense of future generations", but expressed scepticism regarding human activity causing climate change.[85] Pell stated that the "slowing population growth and apathy towards God are the biggest challenges facing the church" and that Western nations faced a population crisis fuelled by "ruthless commercial forces", such that "No western country is producing enough babies to keep the population stable, no western country."[85][86] Pell's views were contested in the Australian context by the environmental group Sustainable Population Australia, whose media release of 14 July 2008 cited Australian Bureau of Statistics figures that Australia had "a population growth rate of 1.6%, higher than the global average, with twice as many births as deaths...".[87] Pell's views were contested in a global context by the economist Jeffrey Sachs, who argued that "The planet, everyone can feel, is just right at the limits right now in terms of food, in terms of energy supply, in terms of land use." Sachs also suggested that world population projections "are already too high at around an extra 2.5 billion people by 2050".[86][88]

Interfaith issues

Islam

Pell wrote of a need to "deepen friendship and understanding" with Muslims in the post–September 11 environment and said that though there is a continuing struggle throughout the Muslim world between moderates and men of violence, he believed that, in Australia, "the moderates are in control".[89] In 2004, speaking to the Acton Institute on the problems of "secular democracy", Pell drew a parallel between Islam and communism: "Islam may provide in the 21st century, the attraction that communism provided in the 20th, both for those that are alienated and embittered on the one hand and for those who seek order or justice on the other."[90]

In February 2006, addressing Catholic business leaders in Naples, Florida, Pell stated: "Considered strictly on its own terms, Islam is not a tolerant religion and its capacity for far-reaching renovation is severely limited."[91] He doubted that Islam possesses the capacity for theological development because "In the Muslim understanding, the Koran comes directly from God, unmediated. The Bible, in contrast, is a product of human co-operation with divine inspiration."[92] In 2012 and 2013, Pell hosted Iftar dinners to mark the end of the Islamic celebration of Ramadan.[93] The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Pell on behalf of Muslims for hosting the dinner.[94] Pell said during the 2012 dinner that such gatherings are one of the fruits of tolerance that flourishes in Australian society and is a sign of respect for diversity, stating:[94]

We are all called to be instruments of peace and harmony among aggressors and those who practice terrorism although we worship the one God in different ways... We gather united in our plans for respect and friendship.

Judaism

Pell participated in interfaith dialogues and celebrations involving Jews. In 2001, he told one such audience at Mandelbaum House in Sydney that he had come from a strongly pro-Jewish family and of being saddened during his studies of history to find Christian ill-treatment of Jews. Pell spoke of the need to remember the Holocaust and of his visits to concentration camps and of his support for the right of the state of Israel to exist. He praised the role of Vatican II and of Pope John Paul II in advancing the cause of Christian-Jewish dialogue and co-operation. Pell also spoke in praise of the Jewish psalms as "a body of prayerful literature" unequalled in any other tradition and singled out the Jewish prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel as authors for whom he has a deep love, and Elijah as one whom he views as highly significant. Pell called on Christian and Jewish leaders alike to speak together and respectfully listen to each other, saying of the Christian-Jewish relationship:[95]

During the last 30 or 40 years there has been a significant reduction in the amount of Christian anti-Semitism. We thank God for that. To adapt to our circumstances the word of Martin Luther King "we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly". Our fortunes, as brothers, are inextricably linked.

Pell's remarks to Richard Dawkins led to a clarification from his office, reported by The Times of Israel as an apology.[96] Pell said, "My commitment to friendship with the Jewish community, and my esteem for the Jewish faith is a matter of public record, and the last thing I would want to do is give offence to either" and that the Holocaust was "a crime unique in history for the death and suffering it caused and its diabolical attempt to wipe out an entire people."[96][97]

Sexuality, marriage and bioethics

Pell received much attention for his attitudes to sexuality issues, particularly homosexuality. When installed as Archbishop of Sydney in May 2001, he said that "Christian teaching on sexuality is only one part of the Ten Commandments, of the virtues and vices, but it is essential for human wellbeing and especially for the proper flourishing of marriages and families, for the continuity of the human race."[98]

Divorce and remarriage

Pell said that, outside exceptional circumstances such as relationships involving physical abuse, it is better for individuals and for society if couples do not divorce, particularly where children are involved.[99] In 2001, ABC radio's The World Today reported that Pell wanted a return to a divorce system based on the fault of one spouse. Pell told the program that, in an effort to "focus attention on the damage, personal and financial, that unfortunately often follows from divorce", he had prepared a list for public consideration of possible penalties to discourage divorce (particularly where fault by one party was involved) as well as benefits to support couples who stayed together.[100]

LGBT issues

In 1990, Pell stated publicly that while he recognised that homosexuality existed, such activity was nevertheless wrong and "for the good of society it should not be encouraged."[101] He had also expressed his belief that suicide rates among LGBT youth were a reason to discourage homosexuality, arguing that "Homosexual activity is a much greater health hazard than smoking."[102] In 1998, Pell refused communion to members of the Rainbow Sash Movement who had attended Mass at the cathedral in Melbourne. He publicly rebuked their actions to the applause of other parishioners.[103] Pell opposed Australian legislation in 2006 that would have permitted LGBT couples to adopt children. In 2007, he said that discrimination against LGBT people was not comparable to that against racial minorities.[104]

HIV/AIDS

See also: Religion and AIDS

In 2009, Pell supported the comments made by Pope Benedict XVI in Africa in relation to controlling the spread of AIDS, in which the Pope reiterated the Catholic teaching that the solution to the AIDS epidemic lay not in the distribution of condoms, but in the practice of sexual abstinence and monogamy within marriage. The Pope said that AIDS could not be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which "can even increase the problem". In response to global coverage of these remarks, Pell said that AIDS was a "great spiritual and health crisis" and a huge challenge, but that "Condoms are encouraging promiscuity. They are encouraging irresponsibility."[105]

The idea that you can solve a great spiritual and health crisis like AIDS with a few mechanical contraptions like condoms is ridiculous. If you look at the Philippines you'll see the incidence of AIDS is much lower than it is in Thailand, which is awash with condoms. There are condoms everywhere and the rate of infection is enormous.

The president of the AIDS Council of New South Wales, Marc Orr, said Pell's comments were "irresponsible" and "contradicted all evidence" that condoms reduced the transmission of HIV:[106] Mike Toole (Burnet Institute) and Rob Moodie (Nossal Institute for Global Health) wrote in The Age that Pell had said a health worker from an African country told him that "people in remote areas are too poor to afford condoms and the ones that are available are often of very poor quality and weren't used effectively". Both professors argue that "this is not an argument against promoting condoms – it is an argument that we need to ensure that good quality condoms are affordable for everyone and are widely distributed with information about how to use them effectively" and concluded "the sexual abstinence message is clearly not working."[107]

In 2010, Benedict told an interviewer that while the church did not consider condoms as a "real or moral solution", there were times where the "intention of reducing the risk of infection" made condom use "a first step" towards a better way. Pell released a statement saying this did not signal a major new shift in Vatican thinking.[108]

Stem cell research

Pell supported research on the therapeutic potential of adult stem cells but opposed embryonic stem cell research on the basis that the Catholic Church cannot support anything which involves "the destruction of human life at any stage after conception". Under Pell, the Sydney archdiocese has provided funding for adult stem cell research but has actively opposed moves by the Parliament of New South Wales to liberalise laws pertaining to use of embryonic stem cells.[70][109]

Following a conscience vote in the Parliament of New South Wales overturning a ban on therapeutic cloning, in June 2007 Pell said that "Catholic politicians who vote for this legislation must realise that their voting has consequences for their place in the life of the Church."[110]: 133 [111] Some members of parliament, including ministers such as Kristina Keneally and Nathan Rees, condemned Pell's comments, calling them hypocritical; Rees drew comparisons with comments made earlier in the year by Sheik Hilali.[111][112] Australian Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon referred Pell's remarks to the New South Wales parliamentary privileges committee for allegedly being in contempt of parliament. Pell described this move as a "clumsy attempt to curb religious freedom and freedom of speech".[113] In September the committee tabled a report clearing him of this charge and recommending that no further action be taken.[114]

The legal scholar and theologian Cathleen Kaveny wrote that "In every possible respect, Pell's statement backfired" as, following backlash from elected officials and the general public, the bill passed the lower house with what she describes as "an overwhelming 65–26 vote" and passed the upper house with a 27–13 vote.[110]: 133–134 

Other roles

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney takes the role of visitor[115] of St John's College, a residential college within the University of Sydney. This is a largely ceremonial role but he can also be called upon to give guidance and resolve internal disputes. Under the direction of the archbishop the college associates itself with the interests of the church and its mission, particularly by the fostering of appropriate academic directions in education, charity, social justice, ethics and the environment.

Pell accepted the invitation to be patron of the Oxford University Newman Society and to deliver their inaugural St Thomas More Lecture on 6 March 2009.[116] Pell was a contributor of articles for the Australian media, including regular columns for Sydney's The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

Handling of child sexual abuse cases by clergy while archbishop

Pell's tenure as Archbishop of Melbourne began when the issue of handling of child sex abuse allegations by institutions was coming to the fore in public debate. Launching the "Melbourne Response" protocol in 1996, Pell said: "It's a matter of regret that the Catholic Church has taken some time to come to grips with the sex abuse issue adequately."[5] In his final sermon as Archbishop of Sydney in 2014 before departing Australia for Rome, Pell told the congregation: "I apologise once again to the victims and their families for the terrible suffering that has been brought to bear by these crimes". He said procedural improvements could still be made to the church's efforts against child sexual abuse, and then he added that he "looked forward" to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which he said was providing a "public service" in allowing victims to air their experiences. His choice of words drew wide criticism as they were perceived as being inappropriately blithe and unempathetic to the victims of abuse.[117]

"Melbourne Response" protocol for abuse cases

Shortly after becoming Archbishop of Melbourne in August 1996, Pell discussed the issue of child abuse with the Victorian premier, governor and retired judge Richard McGarvie, who all recommended swift action.[118] He engaged the law firm Corrs to draft a scheme which would be funded by but operate independently of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.[119]: 29–30  A public forum was held on 19 October and the resulting "Melbourne Response" was announced on 30 October 1996.[119]: 30–31 [120][119]: 29, 31  Victims were publicly encouraged to come forward. Pell's Melbourne-specific policy preceded the national church response, known as "Towards Healing", which the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference approved in November and took effect in March 1997.[118] When Pell was appointed a cardinal in 2003, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that he had established Australia's first independent commissioner to handle child sexual abuse complaints against clergy.[2]

The Melbourne Response was the subject of Case Study 16 in the 2013–2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and was also examined in the 2013 Victorian government Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations. Pell was called to testify at both inquiries.[120][119] In 2017, the royal commission reported that the Melbourne Response was "widely criticised as being legalistic and offering inadequate support to victims".[5] According to the royal commission, the Melbourne Response set its goals as "truth, humility, healing for the victims, assistance to other persons affected, an adequate response to those accused and to offenders and the prevention of any such offences in the future".[119]: 32  Its key features were the appointment of independent commissioners to inquire into allegations and make recommendations; a counselling and support service (Carelink); and the establishment of a compensation panel to advise on making ex-gratia payments to victims of child sexual abuse.[119] The payments are made without the church recognising any liability to victims and were initially capped at $50,000.[5] It was increased to $55,000 in 2000 and to $75,000 in 2008.[119] Peter O'Callaghan was appointed the first independent commissioner. He went on to investigate 351 complaints of child sexual abuse and upheld 97% of them.[119]: 6 

2013 Victorian parliamentary inquiry

On 27 May 2013, Pell gave evidence before Victoria's Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations.[121][122] Pell told the inquiry that he was "fully apologetic and absolutely sorry". The parliamentarians questioned Pell over allegations from the parents of a victim that he had not shown them empathy. Pell said he had in fact fully understood the suffering. He agreed with the inquiry that his predecessor had "covered up" matters for fear of scandal. Pell was heckled from the gallery.[123] Pell critic David Marr wrote that "He [Pell] admitted his church had covered up child sexual abuse for fear of scandal; that his predecessor Archbishop Little had destroyed records, moved paedophile priests from parish to parish and facilitated appalling crimes."[124] During the course of the inquiry, a victim of a paedophile Christian Brother at St Alipius Primary School said that in 1969 Pell heard him pleading for help a few weeks after he had been raped. Pell denied the statement, which was later discredited when Pell produced his passport to confirm that he was not living in Australia that year.[125]

Response to historic allegations in Sydney

During Pell's time as Archbishop of Sydney, allegations of child sexual abuse were made against around 55 priests in the archdiocese. These were largely related to incidents that occurred prior to his arrival as archbishop. The allegations resulted in just under $8 million in reparation payments.[126]

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

In late 2012, the Australian federal government established a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Pell welcomed the inquiry and said "We think this is an opportunity to help the victims, it's an opportunity to clear the air and separate fact from fiction." He said there had been a persistent "press campaign against the Catholic Church".[127] The commission conducted hearings between 2013 and 2017. Pell gave evidence on three occasions to the royal commission, beginning in March 2014 in Sydney and via video link from the Vatican in August 2014 and in February/March 2016.[120]

In his 2012 Christmas address Pell said he felt "shock and shame" at revelations of crime and wrongdoing that were completely contrary to Christ's teaching. Pell called the crimes and wrongdoings "disasters". He said he was "deeply sorry this has happened" and told his listeners to "help those who have been hurt".[128][129][130][131]

Comments upholding the Seal of Confession

The announcement of the royal commission was accompanied by calls from some quarters for relaxing the requirement of confidentiality in confessions, known as the Seal of Confession, which has been upheld by the Catholic Church since the 5th century. It is protected under Australian law in such statutes as the Evidence Act 1995 (which also provides protections for lawyers, journalists and spouses).[132][133][134] When Pell was asked whether he thought that a priest who hears the confession of someone who has committed child sex abuse must remain bound by the Seal of Confession, he replied:[127][135][136][137]

If that is done outside the confessional (it can be reported to the police) ... (But) the Seal of Confession is inviolable. If the priest knows beforehand about such a situation, the priest should refuse to hear the confession ... That would be my advice, and I would never hear the confession of a priest who is suspected of such a thing.

The ABC reported that the comment "met with disapproval", citing Catholic politician Barry O'Farrell who told Parliament that confessions should not be secret.[127][135][136][137]

Accusations of misconduct

Criticisms of Pell's conduct and manner towards victims and perpetrators have been aired in the Australian media and considered at the royal commission. His appearances before the royal commission were met with intense public interest in Australia. He was heckled from the public galleries. Pell has complained of unfair treatment from the media and "relentless character assassination".[138]

An SBS article by Debi Marshall included suggestions Pell had ignored accounts of physical and child sexual abuse and covered up such abuse. Marshall raised the allegation that Pell had attempted to "bribe" a victim.[139] However, Pell was cross-examined by Counsel Assisting Gail Furness over the widely publicised statement that in 1993, he attempted to bribe David Ridsdale into silence, when David Ridsdale called him about the historical misconduct of his child-molesting priest uncle Gerald Ridsdale. In her final submission, Furness conceded that the allegation was unlikely to be an accurate interpretation of Pell's intent, as it was already known that Gerald Ridsdale was under investigation by police, and David Ridsdale was requesting a private process and not suggesting he wanted to go to police.[140]

The royal commission also considered evidence of Pell's "knowledge of rumours, allegations or complaints of Dowlan's sexual abuse of children in Ballarat", also raised in Marshall's article. One witness said he had gone to "Pell's presbytery" in Ballarat to warn him about Dowlan. Pell submitted evidence that he did not live in Ballarat or in that presbytery at the time, and the counsel-assisting said in her final submission that "Cardinal Pell's evidence about his living arrangements and duties in 1973 and 1974 make it less likely that he was at St Patrick's presbytery late in the afternoon on a week day."[140]

March 2014 appearance

In 2014, the royal commission was told how lawyers representing Pell and the Archdiocese of Sydney incurred costs of A$1.5 million against a victim of child sexual abuse. The lawyers, acting on the church's instructions, "vigorously" fought John Ellis through the courts despite warnings of his "fragile psychological state". The resulting New South Wales Court of Appeal ruling established the controversial "Ellis Defence", which confirmed that the church could not be sued as a legal entity and held liable for child sexual abuse committed by a priest in such matters. Eventually, Ellis received $568,000 from the church. In a statement to the royal commission in March 2014, Pell reversed his earlier stance in support of the defence, saying: "My own view is that the Church in Australia should be able to be sued in cases of this kind."[126]

In his 2014 appearance, Pell used an analogy of a trucking company: "If the truck driver picks up some lady and then molests her, I don't think it's appropriate, because it is contrary to the policy, for the ownership, the leadership of that company to be held responsible."[141] He was widely criticised for this remark.[142][143][144][145] The president of Adults Surviving Child Abuse, Cathy Kezelman, called his comments "outrageous", saying that they denied the experience of victims. Nicky Davis, from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said that Pell had made a "highly offensive" comparison.[144][146] Michael Bradley, writing in his weekly column for ABC News, said "Yes, it was mind-blowingly insensitive to draw that analogy and to so blithely refer to 'some lady'. But there was a much bigger hole. In the world according to Pell, if the Catholic Church has a policy that tells its priests not to rape children then, if they still do so, the Church cannot be held accountable."[141]

2016 appearance

Pell appeared before the royal commission in February and March 2016 by video link from a hotel in Rome because his heart condition made travel to Australia inadvisable.[147][148] After the announcement that Pell would testify from Rome in 2016, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to fund a trip to Rome by 15 victims of child sexual abuse to see Pell give evidence in person. It reached its target of A$55,000 in one day, doubled that the following day and trebled the day after.[149][150] The musician Tim Minchin released the song "Come Home (Cardinal Pell)", with all proceeds to go to the GoFundMe campaign. The song described Pell as "scum" and a "coward". Within 24 hours it had over 400,000 views on YouTube and became the number one position on the iTunes song chart in Australia.[150][151] In the event, Pell's testimony was witnessed by 15 victims of child sexual abuse and their supporters.[152]

Having sworn on the Bible, Pell stated that he did not think the problems with child sexual abuse were with the institutional structure of the Catholic Church. "The Church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those", he said. "The Church in many places, certainly in Australia, has mucked things up, has let people down. I'm not here to defend the indefensible."[153] Counsel assisting the royal commission alleged that there were also wider problems with the church's hierarchy in Australia and Rome and beyond, which they thought he understated or sidestepped.[153] Regarding the allegations of children, he said that "the predisposition was not to believe" and that the instinct was to protect the church.[62] He said: "Too many of them certainly were dismissed and sometimes they were dismissed in absolutely scandalous circumstances ... They were very, very, very plausible allegations made by responsible people that were not followed up sufficiently."[62] Pell also stated that the way Gerald Ridsdale was dealt with was "a catastrophe for the victims and a catastrophe for the church". Referring to rumours of child sexual abuse he added: "in those days", he said, "if a priest denied such activity, I was very strongly inclined to accept the denial".[62]

In June 2016 the Holy See Press Office director Federico Lombardi announced that Pell would continue in his role as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, despite being obliged to submit his resignation on turning 75. Lombardi reminded reporters that Pope Francis had previously expressed his full confidence in Pell, and that Francis wished him to continue as prefect.[154]

Gerald Ridsdale

Pell served as an assistant priest at St Alipius' Church in Ballarat East and, in 1973, shared a house with Gerald Ridsdale, a priest who was later laicised and jailed for child sex crimes.[145][155] Ridsdale was convicted between 1993 and 2017 of child sexual abuse and indecent assault charges against children aged as young as four years during the 1970s and 1980s, with the 79 known victims thought to be a small proportion of his actual total.[156][157][158][159] Pell was part of a leadership group of priests in the Diocese of Ballarat who met during 1982 and discussed moving Ridsdale from the parish at Mortlake and sending him to Sydney.[160] Pell denied knowing about any of Ridsdale's actions.[161] Journalist and former priest Paul Bongiorno, who also lived in a presbytery with Ridsdale, told ABC radio that Ridsdale concealed his activities: "They hide it. It was certainly hidden from me. And when it came out, after I'd left the priesthood, I was shocked and I was ashamed."[162]

In March 2016, when asked by the royal commission why he had agreed to walk Ridsdale into the courthouse in Melbourne during his 1993 criminal trial, Pell responded, "I had some status as an auxiliary bishop and I was asked to appear with the ambition that this would lessen the term of punishment, lessen his time in jail." Peter Saunders, the victims' advocate and a former Catholic priest, said that Pell's response "demonstrates once again the callousness, the coldheartedness and the contempt that George Pell appears to display for this whole issue and particularly for the victims of these dreadful crimes".[163]

In 2002 on 60 Minutes, Pell was accused by David Ridsdale, a victim of child sex abuse in Ballarat and the nephew of Gerald Ridsdale, of attempting to bribe him in 1993 to prevent child sexual abuse being made public.[140] The allegation was examined at the royal commission and received further wide publicity.[164][165] However, Gail Furness, a counsel-assisting the royal commission, conceded in her final submission to the commission that, given it was already known to Pell that Gerald Ridsdale was subject to police investigation and that David Ridsdale had requested a "private" rather than police process, "it is not likely that Bishop Pell would then have thought it necessary to offer Mr Ridsdale an inducement to prevent him from going to the police or public with his allegations" and Ridsdale could have "misinterpreted Bishop Pell's offer of assistance".[140]

Commission conclusions

On 7 May 2020, the royal commission revealed its findings regarding Pell, which had been made by 2017 but were withheld while Pell's own sexual abuse case was ongoing.[9][166][167] concluding that Pell knew of child sexual abuse by clergy by the 1970s, but did not take adequate action to address it. Pell responded that the commission's views "are not supported by evidence".[9]

For the case of Gerald Ridsdale, while Pell was a priest in Ballarat, the commission concluded that "in 1973 Father Pell turned his mind to the prudence of Ridsdale taking boys on overnight camps", with child sexual abuse "on his radar, in relation to" Ridsdale. The commission concluded that "by 1973, Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy, but he also considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it".[9][168]

For the case of Father Peter Searson, while Pell was an auxiliary bishop in Melbourne, the commission concluded that given the information Pell had in 1989, he "should have advised the Archbishop to remove Father Searson and he did not do so". Pell had told the commission that, in 1989, he received a list of grievances about Searson. The list included statements that Searson had harassed children, parents and school staff, used children's toilets without cause, shown children a dead body and practised animal cruelty. The commission concluded that it "ought to have been obvious" to Pell that he needed to have Searson removed, while rejecting Pell's statement that he had been "deceived" regarding Searson's case by education officials. Pell removed Searson in 1997 when he had become the archbishop.[168][169][170]

For the case of Father Wilfred James Baker, while Pell was the Archbishop of Melbourne, the commission concluded that Pell had the power to remove Baker in August 1996 when he learned that Baker was about to be charged. Pell did not remove Baker then, resulting in Baker continuing as a priest in a parish with a primary school until May 1997.[168] Baker was jailed in 1999 for child sexual abuse.[171]

Allegations of child sexual abuse

2002 allegation

In June 2002, a Melbourne man named Phil Scott[172] accused Pell of sexually abusing him at a Catholic youth camp in 1961, when the accuser was 12 years old and Pell was a young seminarian. Pell denied the accusations and stood aside while the inquiry continued.[173] The complainant agreed to pursue his allegations through the church's own process for dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct, the National Committee for Professional Standards. Retired Victorian Supreme Court Justice Alec Southwell, appointed commissioner by the church to investigate the matter, found that the complainant, despite his long criminal record, had mostly given the impression of speaking honestly from actual recollection but concluded as follows: "bearing in mind the forensic difficulties of the defence occasioned by the very long delay, some valid criticism of the complainant's credibility, the lack of corroborative evidence and the sworn denial of the respondent, I find I am not 'satisfied that the complaint has been established'".[174][175] Pell said he had been exonerated, while the complainant's solicitor said his client had been vindicated.[175]

Victoria Police investigations

In March 2013, Victoria Police launched Operation Tethering to investigate whether Pell had committed unreported crimes.[176] On 20 February 2016, the Herald Sun newspaper reported that Pell had been under investigation for the past year by detectives from the Victoria Police SANO Taskforce over sexual abuse allegations involving between five and ten boys that occurred between 1978 and 2001 when he was a priest in Ballarat and when he was archbishop of Melbourne.[177] His office issued a statement denying the allegations, and asked for an inquiry into the leaking of information by Victoria Police officers.[177] Victoria Police remained silent on whether Pell was being investigated.[177] The SANO Taskforce was established in 2012 to investigate allegations arising from the Victorian Government Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations and the subsequent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.[177][178]

On 28 July 2016, the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Graham Ashton, confirmed that there was an investigation into alleged child sexual abuse by Pell, and stated he was awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).[179][180][181] On 17 August 2016, Victoria Police said a response had been received from the DPP, but would not disclose the DPP's recommendations.[182]

In October 2016, three Victoria Police officers from the SANO Task Force flew to Rome to interview Pell, who participated voluntarily, regarding allegations of sexual assault.[183] In February 2017, Victoria Police advised that the brief of evidence against Pell had been returned to the Office of Public Prosecutions. That Office subsequently provided advice to Victoria Police in May 2017.[184][185]

Trial, conviction and acquittal

Initial charges and hearings

On 29 June 2017, Victoria Police announced they were charging Pell with a series of sexual assault offences with several counts and several victims.[5] At a press conference in Rome, Pell denied the allegations.[186][187] Pell left the Vatican in July and voluntarily returned to Australia to face trial.[188][189] Details of the charges were not made public.

On 26 July 2017, Pell appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court and entered a plea of not guilty. He was represented by barrister Robert Richter.[190][191] An application by the media seeking public disclosure of the details of the charges was refused by the magistrate.[190] At a procedural hearing in November, Pell's lawyers requested documents from ABC News journalist Louise Milligan and Melbourne University Press relating to Milligan's book Cardinal: the Rise and Fall of George Pell which was published in early 2017.[192]

In January 2018, accuser Damian Dignan died after a long illness.[193][194] Dignan's charge was withdrawn.[195] Pell's lawyers requested but were denied the personal medical information of the complainants.[196] Pell's defence was reported to be based on questioning the timing of allegations.[197] Some other charges were dropped after a complainant was ruled medically unfit to give evidence.[198]

The committal hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence to commit Pell to stand trial commenced on 5 March 2018.[199][200] The hearing allowed for approximately fifty witnesses to give evidence, including former choirboys.[201][199] The magistrate allowed Pell's barrister to cross-examine all but five witnesses.[199] Pell's barrister said the allegations involving St Patrick's Cathedral were impossible.[201][200][202]

Magistrate Belinda Wallington concluded that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed on about half of the charges. On 1 May 2018, Pell was committed to stand trial on several charges of sexual offending.[203][204] Pell entered pleas of not guilty.[205] As a bail condition, Pell was not permitted to leave Australia.[206][207]

On 2 May 2018, Pell appeared in the County Court of Victoria for a directions hearing before Judge Sue Pullen. It it was agreed that he would undergo two separate trials with two separate juries and that the charges would be heard separately for each trial. He was to be tried in relation to allegations of sexual offences taking place at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, in 1990 in the first case (the cathedral trial) and in relation to further allegations taking place at a Ballarat swimming pool in the 1970s in the second case (the swimmers trial).[208] Prosecutors sought a media ban on reporting on the trials until the verdict in the second trial.[209] A suppression order was subsequently issued by Chief Judge Peter Kidd on 25 June 2018.[210] The purpose of the order was to prevent prejudice to Pell caused by jurors in the swimmers trial knowing the outcome of the cathedral trial.[210][211]

Cathedral trial

Pell's first trial for the allegations of misconduct in St Patrick's Cathedral began in August 2018 under Chief Judge Kidd with representation by Robert Richter.[212] However, it ended with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict. This necessitated a retrial, with another jury.[213] A retrial was conducted, again under Kidd. On 11 December 2018, Pell was convicted on five counts of child sexual abuse of two boys in the 1990s.[214]

Australian media outlets generally respected the suppression order preventing publication of details on the cathedral trial whereas international news sources reported the conviction.[209][215][216] The Melbourne-based Herald Sun posted on its front page "CENSORED" in large print in protest of the ban, noting that international sources were reporting on a "very important story that is relevant to Victorians".[209][211] In a statement made to The Washington Post, Noah Shachtman, editor-in-chief of the online news magazine The Daily Beast, consulted with American and Australian lawyers but ultimately considered it an "easy call" to report on the conviction, though he did place geo-blocking restrictions to prevent online access to the story from Australia.[217] More than 140 international news reports were published within 24 hours. Pell's barrister informed Chief Judge Kidd that the guilty verdict was accessible on Wikipedia.[209]

Swimmers trial: prosecution withdraws its case

At the time of Pell's conviction in the cathedral trial, a second trial was pending regarding unrelated allegations that he sexually assaulted two boys while throwing them in the air in a Ballarat swimming pool in the late 1970s. These allegations had been raised by the ABC, leading to a Victoria Police investigation; however, Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges after Chief Judge Kidd on 22 February 2019 disallowed the prosecution's submission of evidence from complainants on the grounds that each piece of evidence was not sufficient.[218][219] News of Pell's conviction was published in Australia on 26 February 2019 when the suppression order was lifted following the withdrawal.[220]

Cathedral trial sentencing

At a pre-sentencing hearing on 27 February 2019, Pell's bail was revoked and he was taken into custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison.[221] Pell's lawyers released a statement that Pell maintained his innocence, and advised that an appeal had been filed on three grounds.[221][222]

The sentencing hearing[223] on 13 March 2019 was broadcast live to the public, with Chief Judge Kidd sentencing Pell to serve six years in jail with a non-parole period of three years and eight months.[224][225] Pell was also registered as a sex offender.[226][227] He served 404 days in prison, much of it in solitary confinement, before being acquitted.

Breach of suppression order by media

In the Supreme Court on 26 March 2019, Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions named 36 media outlets, journalists and broadcasters and applied that they be found guilty, convicted and either imprisoned or fined for breaching the suppression order. International media did not face charges.[228]

Appeal

The Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria heard pleadings for Pell being granted leave to appeal simultaneously with the appeal itself in June 2019. Pell was represented by Bret Walker SC. Three grounds of appeal were lodged: that the verdict was unreasonable, that permission to use in their closing address a visual aid prepared by the defence that illustrated the locations of people within the cathedral around the time of the first assault had been refused, and that Pell had not been arraigned in the presence of the jury as is required under standard criminal procedures in Victoria. Judgment was reserved, without setting a date to deliver the decision.[229][230]

On 21 August 2019, the Court of Appeal issued its ruling, which upheld the convictions.[231] The three-judge panel comprised Chief Justice Anne Ferguson, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Chris Maxwell and Justice Mark Weinberg. On the first ground of appeal, that the verdict was unreasonable, the court granted leave to appeal but dismissed the appeal by a majority (2–1) decision.[231] Ferguson and Maxwell dismissed the appeal. Ferguson stated that, for the appeal to succeed, the court needed to find that the jury must have had doubt as to the defendant's guilt, not merely that they could have had doubt. Weinberg issued a dissenting judgment and would have allowed the appeal on the first ground.[231]

Whilst Ferguson and Maxwell stated that they did not experience a doubt in the case, Weinberg, the dissenting judge, likened the case to that of Lindy Chamberlain, which had seen wrongful conviction by a jury and appeal court based on faulty evidence.[232][233] Weinberg wrote that the applicant should be acquitted on each charge.[234][235]

The court unanimously refused leave to appeal on the second and third grounds.[231]

Acquittal

In September 2019, Pell sought special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia, the final court of appeal in Australia.[236][237] Pell's lawyers submitted that Pell's conviction should be overturned on the basis that, in the face of exculpatory evidence, the Court of Appeal had relied on their belief in the complainant to eliminate doubt and uphold the conviction. The prosecution submission asserted that the appeal judgement had glossed over evidence that supported his conviction.[238] The appeal was heard on 11 and 12 March 2020 by a full bench of seven justices.[239]

On 7 April 2020, in a unanimous judgment, the High Court allowed the appeal, quashing Pell's convictions and determining that judgments of acquittal be entered in their place.[240][241][242][243] The court found that the jury ought to have entertained a doubt as to the applicant's guilt.[244] The court agreed with Weinberg's judgment in the Court of Appeal, finding that the majority might have effectively reversed the burden of proof.[245] In their judgment, the judges said with respect to all five charges that, "Making full allowance for the advantages enjoyed by the jury, there is a significant possibility ... that an innocent person has been convicted."[246]

Reactions after acquittal

Criticism of ABC's Pell coverage

Following Pell's acquittal, prior media coverage of his case came under intense scrutiny. Australia's national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), was accused of sustained bias against Pell both before and during the trial and appeals.[247] Pell said the ABC had betrayed the national interest in overwhelmingly presenting a single view of the case, and that he was a target because of his socially conservative views.[248]

The ABC dismissed criticisms of its coverage and defended its pursuit of Pell as having been without fear or favour.[249] After criticism that its documentary series Revelation (which presented Pell as guilty) had been timed to coincide with the High Court decision, the ABC denied rushing the program, but temporarily removed it from its digital platform to allow the producers to include reference to Pell's acquittal and subsequent release from Barwon Prison. The series was restored to ABC's digital platform and went on to win the Walkley Documentary Award.[250][251] The ABC noted that Revelation had actually been pushed back several days due to Prime Minister Scott Morrison making a televised address to the nation regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.[252][253]

Criticism of Victorian criminal justice system

Criticism of the conduct of Victoria Police, the DPP and the Court of Appeal judges resulted from the High Court verdict. Right-wing commentator Keith Windschuttle published a book, The Persecution of George Pell, arguing that Pell had faced a concerted campaign by Victorian police, judiciary and victims' advocates to convict him on flimsy evidence.[254]

Media charges

In January 2021 the Supreme Court of Victoria heard charges against 27 media companies, reporters and editors with offences, mainly contempt of court, for their coverage of the Pell verdict by breaching the suppression order and the subjudice rule—even though no outlet had named Pell in their coverage, but rather had published protests at the suppression order.[255] Twelve media companies—including the Herald Sun, the Courier Mail, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age (which was fined $450,000), News Corp Australia (which was fined $400,000) and Nine Entertainment Co. (whose other newspapers were fined $162,000)—pleaded guilty to contempt of court and apologised. The companies were to receive fines and would pay $650,000 of the state's legal costs. In exchange for these guilty pleas, 15 charges against individual journalists were dropped.[256]

Justice John Dixon found that the 12 organisations had usurped the role of the court; they had taken it upon themselves to determine where the balance ought to lie between Pell's right to a fair trial and the public's right to know. He did not accept their submission that their breach of the suppression order was an honest mistake. Rather, he found, in most cases the reporting demonstrated that the organisations disagreed with the suppression order and felt the media should not be restrained from reporting the outcome of the trial. Although media overseas had reported Pell's conviction, he thought that potential jury members for the second trial were likely to rely upon local media rather than an internet search and, in any case, overseas reporting did not affect the seriousness of Australian media's breach of the suppression order.[257]

2022 legal action

In 2022, The father of a schoolboy who was allegedly abused by Pell launched legal action against Pell and the Archdiocese of Melbourne. In August that year, the case was allowed to proceed.[258]

Writings

Pell wrote widely in religious and secular magazines, including journals and newspapers in Australia and overseas.[2] He regularly spoke on television and radio. His other publications included The Sisters of St Joseph in Swan Hill 1922–72 (1972), Catholicism in Australia (1988), Rerum Novarum – One Hundred Years Later (1992), Catholicism and the Architecture of Freedom.

  • Pell, George (1977). Bread, stones or fairy floss: religious education today (pamphlet). Melbourne: Australian Catholic Truth Society Publications.
  • ——— (1979). Are our secondary schools Catholic? (pamphlet). Melbourne: Australian Catholic Truth Society Publications.
  • ——— (1982). An evaluation of the goal of moral autonomy in the theory and practice of Lawrence Kohlberg (microfiche). Clayton, Melbourne: Monash University. doi:10.4225/03/597eca733a8dc.
  • with Woods, Mary Helen (1996). Issues of Faith and Morals (paperback). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-553978-3. For senior secondary classes and parish groups.
  • ——— (1999). . The Inaugural Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom. St Leonards, Sydney: Centre for Independent Studies (Australia). p. 14. ISBN 978-1-86432-044-2. Archived from the original (oration) on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  • ——— (2004). Livingstone, Tess (ed.). Be not afraid: collected writing (paperback). Sydney: Duffy & Snellgrove. ISBN 978-1-876631-97-0. A collection of homilies and reflections.
  • ——— (2007). Casey, M. A. (ed.). God and Caesar: Selected Essays on Religion, Politics, and Society (paperback). Ballan, Victoria: Connor Court. ISBN 978-0-8132-1503-7.
  • ——— (2010). Livingstone, Tess (ed.). Test Everything: Hold Fast to What Is Good (paperback). Ballan, Victoria: Connor Court. ISBN 978-1-9214-2137-2.
  • ——— (2020). Prison Journal, Volume One: The Cardinal Makes His Appeal, 27 February–13 July 2019 (paperback). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 9781621644484.
  • ——— (2021). Prison Journal, Volume Two: The State Court Rejects the Appeal, 14 July 2019–30 November 2019 (paperback). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 9781621644507.
  • ——— (2021). Prison Journal, Volume Three: The High Court Frees an Innocent Man (paperback). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 9781621644514.

Distinctions

Orders

Awards

  •   Australia:   Centenary Medal (2001) for service to Australian society through the Catholic Church.[263]

Other

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ One of his fellow seminarians at Corpus Christi was Denis Hart,[13]: 38–39  Pell's successor as Archbishop of Melbourne.[13][page needed]
  2. ^ The CDF has had jurisdiction over sexual offences committed by the Catholic clergy with minors since 2001. Its proceedings are secret.[55]
  3. ^ On 21 August 2019, the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, said that he plans to follow precedent and see that a recommendation is made to the Governor-General that this honour be revoked after Pell lost his appeal against his sexual abuse convictions.[260] The Governor-General also issued a statement noting that such a conviction is grounds for termination of an appointment to the Order of Australia but also declaring that no action will be taken until the appeals process is completed.[261][262]

Citations

  1. ^ "Cardinal George Pell dies in Rome aged 81 after hip surgery; former Vatican finances chief was Australia's top-ranking Catholic". Australian Broadcasting Corporation website. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d . Australia: ABC News. October 2003. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  3. ^ a b Catholic Church Victoria (21 September 2012). Facing the Truth – Learning from the Past – How the Catholic Church in Victoria has Responded to Child Abuse (submission to Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations) (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. ^ Family and Community Development Committee (2013). Betrayal of trust: inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-government organisations (Volume 2) (PDF). East Melbourne, Victoria: Parliament of Victoria. ISBN 9780987372857.
  5. ^ a b c d e "George Pell, Catholic cardinal, charged with historical sexual assault offences". Australia: ABC News. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  6. ^ Posthumous sources:
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Further reading

  • Livingstone, Tess (2002). George Pell. Potts Point, New South Wales: Duffy & Snellgrove. ISBN 978-1-876631-52-9.
    • Livingstone, Tess (2004). George Pell: defender of the faith down under (American ed.). United States: Ignatius Press. ISBN 978-0-89870-984-1.
  • Marr, David (2013). The Prince: Faith, Abuse and George Pell. Quarterly Essay. Vol. 51. Carlton, Victoria: Black Inc. Books. ISBN 978-1-863-95616-1.
  • Milligan, Louise (2017). Cardinal: the rise and fall of George Pell. Melbourne: Melbourne University Publishing. ISBN 978-0-522-87135-7.
  • Morris-Marr, Lucie; Foster, Chrissie (2019). Fallen: the inside story of the secret trial and conviction of Cardinal George Pell. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-76087-605-0.
  • Wang, Jessica (11 January 2023). "George Pell death: From jail to release, a timeline of the Cardinal's biggest controversies". The Australian.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Pell.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to George Pell.
  • "Pell Card. George". Holy See Press Office. from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  • "Cardinal George Pell". Biography. Archdiocese of Sydney.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Titular Bishop of Scala
30 March 1987 – 16 July 1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Archbishop of Melbourne
16 July 1996 – 26 March 2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Archbishop of Sydney
26 March 2001 – 24 February 2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello
21 October 2003 – 10 January 2023 		Vacant
New dicastery Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy
24 February 2014 – 24 February 2019 		Succeeded by

January 12, 2023
george, pell, june, 1941, january, 2023, australian, cardinal, catholic, church, served, inaugural, prefect, secretariat, economy, between, 2014, 2019, member, council, cardinal, advisers, between, 2013, 2018, ordained, priest, 1966, bishop, 1987, made, cardin. George Pell AC 8 June 1941 10 January 2023 was an Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church He served as the inaugural prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy between 2014 and 2019 and was a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers between 2013 and 2018 Ordained a priest in 1966 and bishop in 1987 he was made a cardinal in 2003 Pell served as the eighth Archbishop of Sydney 2001 2014 the seventh Archbishop of Melbourne 1996 2001 and an auxiliary bishop of Melbourne 1987 1996 He was also an author columnist and public speaker 2 From 1996 Pell maintained a high public profile on a wide range of issues while retaining an adherence to Catholic orthodoxy His EminenceGeorge PellACCardinal Prefect of the Secretariat for the EconomyPell in 2012ChurchCatholic ChurchAppointed24 February 2014Term ended24 February 2019SuccessorJuan Antonio Guerrero AlvesOther post s Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello 2003 2023 OrdersOrdination16 December 1966by Gregorio Pietro AgagianianConsecration21 May 1987by Frank LittleCreated cardinal21 October 2003by John Paul IIRankCardinal priestPersonal detailsBorn 1941 06 08 8 June 1941Ballarat Victoria AustraliaDied10 January 2023 2023 01 10 aged 81 Rome Italy 1 Previous post s Titular Bishop of Scala 1987 1996 Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne 1987 1996 Archbishop of Melbourne 1996 2001 Archbishop of Sydney 2001 2014 Member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers 2013 2018 Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy 2014 2019 EducationCorpus Christi College Melbourne Pontifical Urban University Campion Hall Oxford Monash UniversityMottoNolite timere Be not afraid SignatureCoat of armsOrdination history of George PellHistoryPriestly ordinationOrdained byGregorio Pietro Agagianian Pref Sacr Cong Prop Fide Date16 December 1966PlaceSt Peter s Basilica Vatican CityEpiscopal consecrationPrincipal consecratorFrank Little Melbourne Co consecratorsRonald Mulkearns Ballarat Joseph O Connell Melbourne aux Date21 May 1987PlaceSt Patrick s Cathedral MelbourneCardinalateElevated byPope John Paul IIDate21 October 2003Episcopal successionBishops consecrated by George Pell as principal consecratorDenis Hart9 December 1997Joseph Grech10 February 1999Christopher Toohey30 August 2001Julian Porteous3 September 2003Anthony Fisher3 September 2003Terence Brady16 November 2007Michael McKenna26 June 2009Peter Comensoli8 June 2011William Wright15 June 2011Styles of George PellReference styleHis EminenceSpoken styleYour EminenceInformal styleCardinalPell worked as a priest in rural Victoria and in Melbourne and also chaired the aid organisation Caritas Australia part of Caritas Internationalis from 1988 to 1997 He was appointed a delegate to the Australian Constitutional Convention in 1998 received the Centenary Medal from the Australian government in 2003 and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2005 During his tenure as Archbishop of Melbourne Pell set up the Melbourne Response protocol in 1996 to investigate and deal with complaints of child sexual abuse in the archdiocese 3 4 The protocol was the first of its kind in the world but has been subjected to a variety of criticisms 3 5 In 2018 Pell was found guilty of child sexual abuse but the convictions were later quashed by the High Court of Australia in 2020 6 A separate investigation by the Holy See s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith into these allegations of abuse concluded upon his acquittal by the High Court 7 8 According to findings released by Australia s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2020 Pell knew of child sexual abuse by clergy by the 1970s but did not take adequate action to address it Pell said he was surprised and that the commission s views are not supported by evidence 9 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Ecclesiastical career 2 1 Priesthood 2 2 Diocesan episcopal career 2 3 Secretariat for the Economy 2 4 Vatican investigation of sexual abuse charges 2 5 Illness and death 3 Views 3 1 Theology and worship 3 1 1 Ad orientem liturgy 3 1 2 Adam and Eve 3 1 3 Ordination of women and priestly celibacy 3 2 Pope Benedict XVI 3 3 Political issues 3 3 1 Asylum seekers and refugees 3 4 Environmental positions 3 5 Interfaith issues 3 5 1 Islam 3 5 2 Judaism 3 6 Sexuality marriage and bioethics 3 6 1 Divorce and remarriage 3 6 2 LGBT issues 3 6 3 HIV AIDS 3 6 4 Stem cell research 4 Other roles 5 Handling of child sexual abuse cases by clergy while archbishop 5 1 Melbourne Response protocol for abuse cases 5 2 2013 Victorian parliamentary inquiry 5 3 Response to historic allegations in Sydney 5 4 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 5 4 1 Comments upholding the Seal of Confession 5 4 2 Accusations of misconduct 5 4 3 March 2014 appearance 5 4 4 2016 appearance 5 4 5 Gerald Ridsdale 5 4 6 Commission conclusions 6 Allegations of child sexual abuse 6 1 2002 allegation 6 2 Victoria Police investigations 6 3 Trial conviction and acquittal 6 3 1 Initial charges and hearings 6 3 2 Cathedral trial 6 3 3 Swimmers trial prosecution withdraws its case 6 3 4 Cathedral trial sentencing 6 3 5 Breach of suppression order by media 6 4 Appeal 6 5 Acquittal 6 6 Reactions after acquittal 6 6 1 Criticism of ABC s Pell coverage 6 6 2 Criticism of Victorian criminal justice system 6 7 Media charges 6 8 2022 legal action 7 Writings 8 Distinctions 8 1 Orders 8 2 Awards 8 3 Other 9 See also 10 References 10 1 Notes 10 2 Citations 11 Further reading 12 External linksEarly life and educationPell was born on 8 June 1941 in Ballarat Victoria 10 to George Arthur and Margaret Lillian Pell nee Burke 11 His father was a non practising Anglican whose ancestors were from Leicestershire in England he was also a heavyweight boxing champion 12 His mother was a devout Catholic of Irish descent 13 21 As a child Pell underwent 24 operations to remove an abscess in his throat 13 25 Pell attended Loreto Convent and St Patrick s College in Ballarat 14 At St Patrick s he played Australian rules football as a ruckman on the first XVIII from 1956 to 1959 15 He reportedly signed with the Richmond Football Club in 1959 Pell s ambitions later turned to the priesthood Speaking of his decision to enter seminary Pell once said To put it crudely I feared and suspected and eventually became convinced that God wanted me to do His work and I was never able to successfully escape that conviction 13 34 In 1960 Pell began his studies for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College then located in Werribee 14 a He continued to play football and served as class prefect in his second and third years 13 41 42 In 1963 he was assigned to continue studies at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome 15 He was ordained to the diaconate on 15 August 1966 11 Ecclesiastical careerPriesthood On 16 December 1966 Pell was ordained a priest by Cardinal Gregorio Pietro Agagianian 16 at St Peter s Basilica 17 He received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontificia Universita Urbaniana in 1967 and continued his studies at the University of Oxford where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in church history in 1971 with a thesis entitled The exercise of authority in early Christianity from about 170 to about 270 11 18 During his studies at Oxford he also served as a chaplain to Catholic students at Eton College 19 In 1971 Pell returned to Australia and was assigned to serve as an assistant priest in Swan Hill where he remained for two years 11 He then served at a parish in Ballarat East from 1973 to 1983 becoming administrator of the parish of Bungaree in 1984 11 In 1982 he earned a Master of Education degree from Monash University in Melbourne 14 During his tenure in Ballarat East and Bungaree he also served as Episcopal Vicar for Education 1973 84 director of the Aquinas campus of the Institute of Catholic Education 1974 84 and principal of the Institute of Catholic Education 1981 84 14 10 He was also editor of Light the newspaper of the Diocese of Ballarat from 1979 to 1984 11 From 1985 to 1987 Pell served as seminary rector of his alma mater Corpus Christi College 14 Diocesan episcopal career Pell was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Melbourne and titular Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scala Italy on 30 March 1987 He received his episcopal consecration on 21 May 1987 from Archbishop Frank Little with bishops Ronald Mulkearns and Joseph O Connell serving as co consecrators He served as Bishop for the Southern Region of Melbourne 1987 96 During this time he was a parish priest in Mentone 14 Pell was named seventh Archbishop of Melbourne on 16 July 1996 receiving the pallium from Pope John Paul II on 29 June 1997 He was later appointed eighth Archbishop of Sydney on 26 March 2001 and again received the pallium from John Paul on 29 June 2001 20 Pell was a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 1990 to 1995 and a member from 2002 From 1990 to 2000 he was a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith In April 2002 John Paul II named him President of the Vox Clara commission to advise the Congregation for Divine Worship on English translations of liturgical texts 20 On 21 December 2002 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family 21 having previously served as a consultor to the council On 22 September 2012 Pell was appointed a member of the Congregation for Bishops 22 As Archbishop of Melbourne Pell maintained a high public profile on a wide range of issues while retaining a strict adherence to Catholic orthodoxy with some dispute over the issue of Catholics and primacy of conscience 23 24 In 2001 he argued We must not allow the situation to deteriorate as it had in Elijah s time 850 years before Christ where monotheism was nearly swamped by the aggressive paganism of the followers of Baal In 2010 on reviewing the movie Avatar he wrote Worship of the powerful forces of nature is half right a primitive stage in the movement towards acknowledging the one the single Transcendent God above and beyond nature It is a symptom of our age that Hollywood is pumping out this old fashioned pagan propaganda 25 Pope John Paul II announced on 28 September 2003 that he would appoint Pell and 28 others to the College of Cardinals 26 In the consistory of 21 October he was made cardinal priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello 27 With Pell as cardinal Australia had for the first time three cardinals eligible to participate in a papal election Pell Edward Bede Clancy and Edward Idris Cassidy 28 Pell was one of the cardinal electors in 2005 who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who became Pope Benedict XVI He is reported to have served as an unauthorised campaign manager for Ratzinger 29 30 Pell was mentioned as a possible successor to Benedict XVI as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 30 Pell instituted new guidelines in February 2007 for family members speaking at funerals He said that on not a few occasions inappropriate remarks glossing over the deceased s proclivities drinking prowess romantic conquests etc or about the Church attacking its moral teachings have been made at funeral Masses Under Pell s guidelines the eulogy must never replace the celebrant s homily which should focus on the scripture readings selected God s compassion and the resurrection of Jesus 31 Pell in Rome in 2007 Pell lobbied for the successful Sydney bid to host the 2008 World Youth Day 32 which brought Benedict XVI on his first papal visit to Australia 33 The event drew approximately half a million young people from 200 countries and one million people came to see the Pope On 19 July 2008 Benedict issued his first public apology to victims of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests 34 In their 2010 Good Friday sermons both Pell and his Anglican counterpart Archbishop Peter Jensen attacked atheism 35 36 Both men were also closely aligned on policy issues 37 and Jensen launched Pell s biography 38 On 18 September 2012 Pell was named by Benedict XVI to be one of the papally appointed Synod Fathers for the October 2012 Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization 39 Pell was the only cardinal from Oceania to take part in the 2013 papal conclave 40 At that conclave he was thought to be organising votes on behalf of Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan the favourite candidate of the Italian cardinals 41 Following his election Pope Francis named Pell the only non retired cardinal available to represent Oceania 41 42 one of eight members to advise the Pope on reform of the Vatican bureaucracy called the Roman Curia they were appointed to five year terms 43 44 Secretariat for the Economy In February 2014 Pell was appointed to be the first prefect of the newly created Secretariat for the Economy 45 In this role Pell was responsible for the annual budget of the Holy See and the Vatican 46 In July 2014 Pell with the consent of Pope Francis had the Ordinary Section of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See APSA transferred to the Secretariat for the Economy to enable the Secretariat to exercise economic control and vigilance over the agencies of the Holy See It was also announced that remaining staff of APSA would begin to focus exclusively on its role as a treasury for the Holy See and the Vatican City State 47 Following the confirmation of the mission of the Institute for the Works of Religion IOR also known as the Vatican Bank by the Pope on 7 April 2014 the IOR announced plans for the next stage of development The Council of Cardinal Advisers the Secretariat for the Economy the Supervisory Commission of Cardinals and the IOR Board of Superintendence agreed that this plan would be carried out by a new executive team led by Jean Baptiste de Franssu 47 Pell was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on 13 September 2014 48 In November 2014 the Secretariat for the Economy distributed a new handbook to all Vatican offices outlining financial management policies that would go into effect on 1 January 2015 The manual was endorsed by the Council for the Economy and approved by the Pope The purpose of the manual is very simple said Pell it brings Financial Management practices in line with international standards and will help all Entities and Administrations of the Holy See and the Vatican City State prepare financial reports in a consistent and transparent manner 49 In 2015 Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio questioned the scope of the authority given to the Secretariat and to Pell himself specifically the consolidation of management and not the demand for transparency 50 51 On 12 December 2018 the Vatican announced that Pell was one of three more elderly cardinals who were to leave the Pope s Council of Cardinal Advisers after a five year term The three were also thanked by the Pope for their service 52 On 24 February 2019 his five year term as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy expired 53 Vatican investigation of sexual abuse charges Immediately following Pell s initial conviction for sexual abuse in February 2019 the Holy See s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith CDF initiated its own investigation of the charges against him 54 b but the Vatican also said the CDF would await a definitive judgment from the Australian courts in the case The Pope reaffirmed at that time that Pell was forbidden to exercise public ministry and from having contact in any way or form with minors restrictions that had been in place since Pell s return to Australia in July 2017 56 When Pell s conviction was upheld in August 2019 the Vatican again said its review would wait for Pell to exhaust his appeals 57 When Pell s convictions were quashed in April 2020 a Vatican spokesperson said that ruling would contribute to the CDF s investigation which would draw its conclusions on the basis of the norms of canon law 58 The CDF s investigations concluded upon Pell s acquittal by the High Court 8 Illness and death In January 2010 Pell experienced cardiac problems during his Vatican visit and in February had a pacemaker fitted in a Rome hospital 59 In 2015 Pell s doctors judged his heart condition serious enough to prevent air travel from Italy to Australia to appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse He was expected to be well enough to travel in February 2016 60 However he was excused from giving evidence in person by commission chair Justice Peter McClellan based on a two page medical report submitted by Pell s lawyers 61 He testified from a hotel in Rome through a video link up 62 In December 2018 he underwent knee surgery 63 He recovered sufficiently to stop using a cane by June 2019 64 In February 2019 when he was taken into custody following his conviction an assessment of his mental and physical health concluded he was healthy enough to be kept in HM Melbourne Assessment Prison 65 On 10 January 2023 at the age of 81 Pell died of cardiac arrest following hip surgery at the Salvator Mundi hospital in Rome having attended the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI a few days earlier 66 67 Plans were announced to return Pell s remains to Australia and bury them at St Mary s Cathedral in Sydney following his funeral at the Vatican 68 67 ViewsIn the Australian context Pell was regarded as progressive on some issues such as asylum seekers but strongly conservative on matters of faith and morals 69 He was often wary of what he called the callousness of unrestrained capitalism He wrote that a Catholic is someone who is not only a person of personal conscience but is someone who believes Christ is Son of God accepts His teachings and lives a life of worship service and duty in the community Catholics are not created by the accident of birth to remain only because their tribe has an interesting history 70 Theology and worship Ad orientem liturgy In 2009 Pell supported in the abstract but not as a proposal for immediate application mandatory celebration of the Canon of the Mass with the orientation of the priest ad orientem towards the east facing in the same direction as the congregation There s nothing like a consensus in favour of that at the moment he said I think I would be in favour of it because it makes it patently clear that the priest is not the centre of the show that this is an act of worship of the one true God and the people are joining with the priest for that 71 Adam and Eve During a debate against Richard Dawkins on the television show Q amp A in 2012 in response to whether there had ever been a Garden of Eden scenario with an actual Adam and Eve Pell said 72 73 Adam and Eve are terms what do they mean life and earth It s like every man That s a beautiful sophisticated mythological account It s not science but it s there to tell us two or three things First of all that God created the world and the universe Secondly that the key to the whole of universe the really significant thing are humans and thirdly it is a very sophisticated mythology to try to explain the evil and suffering in the world Ordination of women and priestly celibacy In 2005 Pell supported the view that the ordination of women as priests is impossible according to the church s divine constitution and said that abandoning the tradition of clerical celibacy would be a serious blunder 74 Pope Benedict XVI Pell said that the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to retire in 2013 could set a precedent which may be a problem for future leaders He thought Benedict s decision to step down had destabilised the church and some of those surrounding the Pope had failed to support him in his ministry He was well aware that this is a break with tradition and slightly destabilising Pell said According to him the Pope was a better theologian than he was a leader 75 In response to the statement that he had criticised Benedict XVI Pell said he was stating what the Pope already mentioned himself and his comments were not breaking any ground 75 During a youth conference in Parramatta Bishop Anthony Fisher said that Pell was merely stating the pros and cons of the Pope s decision and those who said his comments were critical were taking him out of context 76 Political issues Asylum seekers and refugees Pell criticised the bipartisan policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers in Australia and called for empathy and compassion towards displaced peoples 77 Pell said that while a policy of deterrence was justifiable the practice of the policy was coming at too great a moral cost 78 Describing conditions in some of Australia s mandatory detention camps in 2001 as pretty tight and miserable and no place for women and children Pell called for investigation of any maltreatment of detainees and said that while Australia has the right to regulate the number of refugees it accepts as a rich and prosperous country it can afford to be generous and must treat humanely those refugees who reach Australia 79 Environmental positions In a 2006 speech Pell said that hysterical and extreme claims about the natural environment were the result of the pagan emptiness of Western culture He said In the past pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions 80 In a 2007 article for the Sydney Sunday Telegraph Pell wrote that while climate had changed he was certainly sceptical about extravagant claims of impending man made climatic catastrophes because the evidence is insufficient 81 Responding to the Anglican bishop and environmentalist George Browning who told the Anglican Church of Australia s general synod that Pell was out of touch with the Catholic Church as well as with the general community 82 Pell stated 83 Radical environmentalists are more than up to the task of moralising their own agenda and imposing it on people through fear They don t need church leaders to help them with this although it is a very effective way of further muting Christian witness Church leaders in particular should be allergic to nonsense I am certainly sceptical about extravagant claims of impending man made climatic catastrophes Uncertainties on climate change abound my task as a Christian leader is to engage with reality to contribute to debate on important issues to open people s minds and to point out when the emperor is wearing few or no clothes In July 2015 Pell criticised Pope Francis s encyclical Laudato si for associating the church with the need to address climate Pell said 84 It s got many many interesting elements There are parts of it which are beautiful But the church has no particular expertise in science the church has got no mandate from the Lord to pronounce on scientific matters We believe in the autonomy of science Pell publicly expressed concern regarding population decline in July 2008 in a homily for the opening Mass of the World Youth Day in Sydney in response to comments made by Pope Benedict XVI regarding climate change While travelling to Sydney for the event Benedict stated in a brief interview that Catholics and others must commit to finding an ethical way to change our way of life and ways to respond to these great challenges regarding climate change Pell stated in his homily that mankind has a duty not to damage and destroy or ruthlessly use the environment at the expense of future generations but expressed scepticism regarding human activity causing climate change 85 Pell stated that the slowing population growth and apathy towards God are the biggest challenges facing the church and that Western nations faced a population crisis fuelled by ruthless commercial forces such that No western country is producing enough babies to keep the population stable no western country 85 86 Pell s views were contested in the Australian context by the environmental group Sustainable Population Australia whose media release of 14 July 2008 cited Australian Bureau of Statistics figures that Australia had a population growth rate of 1 6 higher than the global average with twice as many births as deaths 87 Pell s views were contested in a global context by the economist Jeffrey Sachs who argued that The planet everyone can feel is just right at the limits right now in terms of food in terms of energy supply in terms of land use Sachs also suggested that world population projections are already too high at around an extra 2 5 billion people by 2050 86 88 Interfaith issues Islam Pell wrote of a need to deepen friendship and understanding with Muslims in the post September 11 environment and said that though there is a continuing struggle throughout the Muslim world between moderates and men of violence he believed that in Australia the moderates are in control 89 In 2004 speaking to the Acton Institute on the problems of secular democracy Pell drew a parallel between Islam and communism Islam may provide in the 21st century the attraction that communism provided in the 20th both for those that are alienated and embittered on the one hand and for those who seek order or justice on the other 90 In February 2006 addressing Catholic business leaders in Naples Florida Pell stated Considered strictly on its own terms Islam is not a tolerant religion and its capacity for far reaching renovation is severely limited 91 He doubted that Islam possesses the capacity for theological development because In the Muslim understanding the Koran comes directly from God unmediated The Bible in contrast is a product of human co operation with divine inspiration 92 In 2012 and 2013 Pell hosted Iftar dinners to mark the end of the Islamic celebration of Ramadan 93 The Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohamed expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Pell on behalf of Muslims for hosting the dinner 94 Pell said during the 2012 dinner that such gatherings are one of the fruits of tolerance that flourishes in Australian society and is a sign of respect for diversity stating 94 We are all called to be instruments of peace and harmony among aggressors and those who practice terrorism although we worship the one God in different ways We gather united in our plans for respect and friendship JudaismPell participated in interfaith dialogues and celebrations involving Jews In 2001 he told one such audience at Mandelbaum House in Sydney that he had come from a strongly pro Jewish family and of being saddened during his studies of history to find Christian ill treatment of Jews Pell spoke of the need to remember the Holocaust and of his visits to concentration camps and of his support for the right of the state of Israel to exist He praised the role of Vatican II and of Pope John Paul II in advancing the cause of Christian Jewish dialogue and co operation Pell also spoke in praise of the Jewish psalms as a body of prayerful literature unequalled in any other tradition and singled out the Jewish prophets Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel as authors for whom he has a deep love and Elijah as one whom he views as highly significant Pell called on Christian and Jewish leaders alike to speak together and respectfully listen to each other saying of the Christian Jewish relationship 95 During the last 30 or 40 years there has been a significant reduction in the amount of Christian anti Semitism We thank God for that To adapt to our circumstances the word of Martin Luther King we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly Our fortunes as brothers are inextricably linked Pell s remarks to Richard Dawkins led to a clarification from his office reported by The Times of Israel as an apology 96 Pell said My commitment to friendship with the Jewish community and my esteem for the Jewish faith is a matter of public record and the last thing I would want to do is give offence to either and that the Holocaust was a crime unique in history for the death and suffering it caused and its diabolical attempt to wipe out an entire people 96 97 Sexuality marriage and bioethics Pell received much attention for his attitudes to sexuality issues particularly homosexuality When installed as Archbishop of Sydney in May 2001 he said that Christian teaching on sexuality is only one part of the Ten Commandments of the virtues and vices but it is essential for human wellbeing and especially for the proper flourishing of marriages and families for the continuity of the human race 98 Divorce and remarriage Pell said that outside exceptional circumstances such as relationships involving physical abuse it is better for individuals and for society if couples do not divorce particularly where children are involved 99 In 2001 ABC radio s The World Today reported that Pell wanted a return to a divorce system based on the fault of one spouse Pell told the program that in an effort to focus attention on the damage personal and financial that unfortunately often follows from divorce he had prepared a list for public consideration of possible penalties to discourage divorce particularly where fault by one party was involved as well as benefits to support couples who stayed together 100 LGBT issues In 1990 Pell stated publicly that while he recognised that homosexuality existed such activity was nevertheless wrong and for the good of society it should not be encouraged 101 He had also expressed his belief that suicide rates among LGBT youth were a reason to discourage homosexuality arguing that Homosexual activity is a much greater health hazard than smoking 102 In 1998 Pell refused communion to members of the Rainbow Sash Movement who had attended Mass at the cathedral in Melbourne He publicly rebuked their actions to the applause of other parishioners 103 Pell opposed Australian legislation in 2006 that would have permitted LGBT couples to adopt children In 2007 he said that discrimination against LGBT people was not comparable to that against racial minorities 104 HIV AIDS See also Religion and AIDS In 2009 Pell supported the comments made by Pope Benedict XVI in Africa in relation to controlling the spread of AIDS in which the Pope reiterated the Catholic teaching that the solution to the AIDS epidemic lay not in the distribution of condoms but in the practice of sexual abstinence and monogamy within marriage The Pope said that AIDS could not be overcome through the distribution of condoms which can even increase the problem In response to global coverage of these remarks Pell said that AIDS was a great spiritual and health crisis and a huge challenge but that Condoms are encouraging promiscuity They are encouraging irresponsibility 105 The idea that you can solve a great spiritual and health crisis like AIDS with a few mechanical contraptions like condoms is ridiculous If you look at the Philippines you ll see the incidence of AIDS is much lower than it is in Thailand which is awash with condoms There are condoms everywhere and the rate of infection is enormous The president of the AIDS Council of New South Wales Marc Orr said Pell s comments were irresponsible and contradicted all evidence that condoms reduced the transmission of HIV 106 Mike Toole Burnet Institute and Rob Moodie Nossal Institute for Global Health wrote in The Age that Pell had said a health worker from an African country told him that people in remote areas are too poor to afford condoms and the ones that are available are often of very poor quality and weren t used effectively Both professors argue that this is not an argument against promoting condoms it is an argument that we need to ensure that good quality condoms are affordable for everyone and are widely distributed with information about how to use them effectively and concluded the sexual abstinence message is clearly not working 107 In 2010 Benedict told an interviewer that while the church did not consider condoms as a real or moral solution there were times where the intention of reducing the risk of infection made condom use a first step towards a better way Pell released a statement saying this did not signal a major new shift in Vatican thinking 108 Stem cell research Pell supported research on the therapeutic potential of adult stem cells but opposed embryonic stem cell research on the basis that the Catholic Church cannot support anything which involves the destruction of human life at any stage after conception Under Pell the Sydney archdiocese has provided funding for adult stem cell research but has actively opposed moves by the Parliament of New South Wales to liberalise laws pertaining to use of embryonic stem cells 70 109 Following a conscience vote in the Parliament of New South Wales overturning a ban on therapeutic cloning in June 2007 Pell said that Catholic politicians who vote for this legislation must realise that their voting has consequences for their place in the life of the Church 110 133 111 Some members of parliament including ministers such as Kristina Keneally and Nathan Rees condemned Pell s comments calling them hypocritical Rees drew comparisons with comments made earlier in the year by Sheik Hilali 111 112 Australian Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon referred Pell s remarks to the New South Wales parliamentary privileges committee for allegedly being in contempt of parliament Pell described this move as a clumsy attempt to curb religious freedom and freedom of speech 113 In September the committee tabled a report clearing him of this charge and recommending that no further action be taken 114 The legal scholar and theologian Cathleen Kaveny wrote that In every possible respect Pell s statement backfired as following backlash from elected officials and the general public the bill passed the lower house with what she describes as an overwhelming 65 26 vote and passed the upper house with a 27 13 vote 110 133 134 Other rolesThe Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney takes the role of visitor 115 of St John s College a residential college within the University of Sydney This is a largely ceremonial role but he can also be called upon to give guidance and resolve internal disputes Under the direction of the archbishop the college associates itself with the interests of the church and its mission particularly by the fostering of appropriate academic directions in education charity social justice ethics and the environment Pell accepted the invitation to be patron of the Oxford University Newman Society and to deliver their inaugural St Thomas More Lecture on 6 March 2009 116 Pell was a contributor of articles for the Australian media including regular columns for Sydney s The Sunday Telegraph newspaper Handling of child sexual abuse cases by clergy while archbishopPell s tenure as Archbishop of Melbourne began when the issue of handling of child sex abuse allegations by institutions was coming to the fore in public debate Launching the Melbourne Response protocol in 1996 Pell said It s a matter of regret that the Catholic Church has taken some time to come to grips with the sex abuse issue adequately 5 In his final sermon as Archbishop of Sydney in 2014 before departing Australia for Rome Pell told the congregation I apologise once again to the victims and their families for the terrible suffering that has been brought to bear by these crimes He said procedural improvements could still be made to the church s efforts against child sexual abuse and then he added that he looked forward to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which he said was providing a public service in allowing victims to air their experiences His choice of words drew wide criticism as they were perceived as being inappropriately blithe and unempathetic to the victims of abuse 117 Melbourne Response protocol for abuse cases Shortly after becoming Archbishop of Melbourne in August 1996 Pell discussed the issue of child abuse with the Victorian premier governor and retired judge Richard McGarvie who all recommended swift action 118 He engaged the law firm Corrs to draft a scheme which would be funded by but operate independently of the Archdiocese of Melbourne 119 29 30 A public forum was held on 19 October and the resulting Melbourne Response was announced on 30 October 1996 119 30 31 120 119 29 31 Victims were publicly encouraged to come forward Pell s Melbourne specific policy preceded the national church response known as Towards Healing which the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference approved in November and took effect in March 1997 118 When Pell was appointed a cardinal in 2003 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that he had established Australia s first independent commissioner to handle child sexual abuse complaints against clergy 2 The Melbourne Response was the subject of Case Study 16 in the 2013 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and was also examined in the 2013 Victorian government Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations Pell was called to testify at both inquiries 120 119 In 2017 the royal commission reported that the Melbourne Response was widely criticised as being legalistic and offering inadequate support to victims 5 According to the royal commission the Melbourne Response set its goals as truth humility healing for the victims assistance to other persons affected an adequate response to those accused and to offenders and the prevention of any such offences in the future 119 32 Its key features were the appointment of independent commissioners to inquire into allegations and make recommendations a counselling and support service Carelink and the establishment of a compensation panel to advise on making ex gratia payments to victims of child sexual abuse 119 The payments are made without the church recognising any liability to victims and were initially capped at 50 000 5 It was increased to 55 000 in 2000 and to 75 000 in 2008 119 Peter O Callaghan was appointed the first independent commissioner He went on to investigate 351 complaints of child sexual abuse and upheld 97 of them 119 6 2013 Victorian parliamentary inquiry On 27 May 2013 Pell gave evidence before Victoria s Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations 121 122 Pell told the inquiry that he was fully apologetic and absolutely sorry The parliamentarians questioned Pell over allegations from the parents of a victim that he had not shown them empathy Pell said he had in fact fully understood the suffering He agreed with the inquiry that his predecessor had covered up matters for fear of scandal Pell was heckled from the gallery 123 Pell critic David Marr wrote that He Pell admitted his church had covered up child sexual abuse for fear of scandal that his predecessor Archbishop Little had destroyed records moved paedophile priests from parish to parish and facilitated appalling crimes 124 During the course of the inquiry a victim of a paedophile Christian Brother at St Alipius Primary School said that in 1969 Pell heard him pleading for help a few weeks after he had been raped Pell denied the statement which was later discredited when Pell produced his passport to confirm that he was not living in Australia that year 125 Response to historic allegations in Sydney During Pell s time as Archbishop of Sydney allegations of child sexual abuse were made against around 55 priests in the archdiocese These were largely related to incidents that occurred prior to his arrival as archbishop The allegations resulted in just under 8 million in reparation payments 126 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse In late 2012 the Australian federal government established a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Pell welcomed the inquiry and said We think this is an opportunity to help the victims it s an opportunity to clear the air and separate fact from fiction He said there had been a persistent press campaign against the Catholic Church 127 The commission conducted hearings between 2013 and 2017 Pell gave evidence on three occasions to the royal commission beginning in March 2014 in Sydney and via video link from the Vatican in August 2014 and in February March 2016 120 In his 2012 Christmas address Pell said he felt shock and shame at revelations of crime and wrongdoing that were completely contrary to Christ s teaching Pell called the crimes and wrongdoings disasters He said he was deeply sorry this has happened and told his listeners to help those who have been hurt 128 129 130 131 Comments upholding the Seal of Confession The announcement of the royal commission was accompanied by calls from some quarters for relaxing the requirement of confidentiality in confessions known as the Seal of Confession which has been upheld by the Catholic Church since the 5th century It is protected under Australian law in such statutes as the Evidence Act 1995 which also provides protections for lawyers journalists and spouses 132 133 134 When Pell was asked whether he thought that a priest who hears the confession of someone who has committed child sex abuse must remain bound by the Seal of Confession he replied 127 135 136 137 If that is done outside the confessional it can be reported to the police But the Seal of Confession is inviolable If the priest knows beforehand about such a situation the priest should refuse to hear the confession That would be my advice and I would never hear the confession of a priest who is suspected of such a thing The ABC reported that the comment met with disapproval citing Catholic politician Barry O Farrell who told Parliament that confessions should not be secret 127 135 136 137 Accusations of misconduct Criticisms of Pell s conduct and manner towards victims and perpetrators have been aired in the Australian media and considered at the royal commission His appearances before the royal commission were met with intense public interest in Australia He was heckled from the public galleries Pell has complained of unfair treatment from the media and relentless character assassination 138 An SBS article by Debi Marshall included suggestions Pell had ignored accounts of physical and child sexual abuse and covered up such abuse Marshall raised the allegation that Pell had attempted to bribe a victim 139 However Pell was cross examined by Counsel Assisting Gail Furness over the widely publicised statement that in 1993 he attempted to bribe David Ridsdale into silence when David Ridsdale called him about the historical misconduct of his child molesting priest uncle Gerald Ridsdale In her final submission Furness conceded that the allegation was unlikely to be an accurate interpretation of Pell s intent as it was already known that Gerald Ridsdale was under investigation by police and David Ridsdale was requesting a private process and not suggesting he wanted to go to police 140 The royal commission also considered evidence of Pell s knowledge of rumours allegations or complaints of Dowlan s sexual abuse of children in Ballarat also raised in Marshall s article One witness said he had gone to Pell s presbytery in Ballarat to warn him about Dowlan Pell submitted evidence that he did not live in Ballarat or in that presbytery at the time and the counsel assisting said in her final submission that Cardinal Pell s evidence about his living arrangements and duties in 1973 and 1974 make it less likely that he was at St Patrick s presbytery late in the afternoon on a week day 140 March 2014 appearance In 2014 the royal commission was told how lawyers representing Pell and the Archdiocese of Sydney incurred costs of A 1 5 million against a victim of child sexual abuse The lawyers acting on the church s instructions vigorously fought John Ellis through the courts despite warnings of his fragile psychological state The resulting New South Wales Court of Appeal ruling established the controversial Ellis Defence which confirmed that the church could not be sued as a legal entity and held liable for child sexual abuse committed by a priest in such matters Eventually Ellis received 568 000 from the church In a statement to the royal commission in March 2014 Pell reversed his earlier stance in support of the defence saying My own view is that the Church in Australia should be able to be sued in cases of this kind 126 In his 2014 appearance Pell used an analogy of a trucking company If the truck driver picks up some lady and then molests her I don t think it s appropriate because it is contrary to the policy for the ownership the leadership of that company to be held responsible 141 He was widely criticised for this remark 142 143 144 145 The president of Adults Surviving Child Abuse Cathy Kezelman called his comments outrageous saying that they denied the experience of victims Nicky Davis from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests SNAP said that Pell had made a highly offensive comparison 144 146 Michael Bradley writing in his weekly column for ABC News said Yes it was mind blowingly insensitive to draw that analogy and to so blithely refer to some lady But there was a much bigger hole In the world according to Pell if the Catholic Church has a policy that tells its priests not to rape children then if they still do so the Church cannot be held accountable 141 2016 appearance Pell appeared before the royal commission in February and March 2016 by video link from a hotel in Rome because his heart condition made travel to Australia inadvisable 147 148 After the announcement that Pell would testify from Rome in 2016 a GoFundMe campaign was launched to fund a trip to Rome by 15 victims of child sexual abuse to see Pell give evidence in person It reached its target of A 55 000 in one day doubled that the following day and trebled the day after 149 150 The musician Tim Minchin released the song Come Home Cardinal Pell with all proceeds to go to the GoFundMe campaign The song described Pell as scum and a coward Within 24 hours it had over 400 000 views on YouTube and became the number one position on the iTunes song chart in Australia 150 151 In the event Pell s testimony was witnessed by 15 victims of child sexual abuse and their supporters 152 Having sworn on the Bible Pell stated that he did not think the problems with child sexual abuse were with the institutional structure of the Catholic Church The Church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those he said The Church in many places certainly in Australia has mucked things up has let people down I m not here to defend the indefensible 153 Counsel assisting the royal commission alleged that there were also wider problems with the church s hierarchy in Australia and Rome and beyond which they thought he understated or sidestepped 153 Regarding the allegations of children he said that the predisposition was not to believe and that the instinct was to protect the church 62 He said Too many of them certainly were dismissed and sometimes they were dismissed in absolutely scandalous circumstances They were very very very plausible allegations made by responsible people that were not followed up sufficiently 62 Pell also stated that the way Gerald Ridsdale was dealt with was a catastrophe for the victims and a catastrophe for the church Referring to rumours of child sexual abuse he added in those days he said if a priest denied such activity I was very strongly inclined to accept the denial 62 In June 2016 the Holy See Press Office director Federico Lombardi announced that Pell would continue in his role as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy despite being obliged to submit his resignation on turning 75 Lombardi reminded reporters that Pope Francis had previously expressed his full confidence in Pell and that Francis wished him to continue as prefect 154 Gerald Ridsdale Pell served as an assistant priest at St Alipius Church in Ballarat East and in 1973 shared a house with Gerald Ridsdale a priest who was later laicised and jailed for child sex crimes 145 155 Ridsdale was convicted between 1993 and 2017 of child sexual abuse and indecent assault charges against children aged as young as four years during the 1970s and 1980s with the 79 known victims thought to be a small proportion of his actual total 156 157 158 159 Pell was part of a leadership group of priests in the Diocese of Ballarat who met during 1982 and discussed moving Ridsdale from the parish at Mortlake and sending him to Sydney 160 Pell denied knowing about any of Ridsdale s actions 161 Journalist and former priest Paul Bongiorno who also lived in a presbytery with Ridsdale told ABC radio that Ridsdale concealed his activities They hide it It was certainly hidden from me And when it came out after I d left the priesthood I was shocked and I was ashamed 162 In March 2016 when asked by the royal commission why he had agreed to walk Ridsdale into the courthouse in Melbourne during his 1993 criminal trial Pell responded I had some status as an auxiliary bishop and I was asked to appear with the ambition that this would lessen the term of punishment lessen his time in jail Peter Saunders the victims advocate and a former Catholic priest said that Pell s response demonstrates once again the callousness the coldheartedness and the contempt that George Pell appears to display for this whole issue and particularly for the victims of these dreadful crimes 163 In 2002 on 60 Minutes Pell was accused by David Ridsdale a victim of child sex abuse in Ballarat and the nephew of Gerald Ridsdale of attempting to bribe him in 1993 to prevent child sexual abuse being made public 140 The allegation was examined at the royal commission and received further wide publicity 164 165 However Gail Furness a counsel assisting the royal commission conceded in her final submission to the commission that given it was already known to Pell that Gerald Ridsdale was subject to police investigation and that David Ridsdale had requested a private rather than police process it is not likely that Bishop Pell would then have thought it necessary to offer Mr Ridsdale an inducement to prevent him from going to the police or public with his allegations and Ridsdale could have misinterpreted Bishop Pell s offer of assistance 140 Commission conclusions On 7 May 2020 the royal commission revealed its findings regarding Pell which had been made by 2017 but were withheld while Pell s own sexual abuse case was ongoing 9 166 167 concluding that Pell knew of child sexual abuse by clergy by the 1970s but did not take adequate action to address it Pell responded that the commission s views are not supported by evidence 9 For the case of Gerald Ridsdale while Pell was a priest in Ballarat the commission concluded that in 1973 Father Pell turned his mind to the prudence of Ridsdale taking boys on overnight camps with child sexual abuse on his radar in relation to Ridsdale The commission concluded that by 1973 Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy but he also considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it 9 168 For the case of Father Peter Searson while Pell was an auxiliary bishop in Melbourne the commission concluded that given the information Pell had in 1989 he should have advised the Archbishop to remove Father Searson and he did not do so Pell had told the commission that in 1989 he received a list of grievances about Searson The list included statements that Searson had harassed children parents and school staff used children s toilets without cause shown children a dead body and practised animal cruelty The commission concluded that it ought to have been obvious to Pell that he needed to have Searson removed while rejecting Pell s statement that he had been deceived regarding Searson s case by education officials Pell removed Searson in 1997 when he had become the archbishop 168 169 170 For the case of Father Wilfred James Baker while Pell was the Archbishop of Melbourne the commission concluded that Pell had the power to remove Baker in August 1996 when he learned that Baker was about to be charged Pell did not remove Baker then resulting in Baker continuing as a priest in a parish with a primary school until May 1997 168 Baker was jailed in 1999 for child sexual abuse 171 Allegations of child sexual abuse2002 allegation In June 2002 a Melbourne man named Phil Scott 172 accused Pell of sexually abusing him at a Catholic youth camp in 1961 when the accuser was 12 years old and Pell was a young seminarian Pell denied the accusations and stood aside while the inquiry continued 173 The complainant agreed to pursue his allegations through the church s own process for dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct the National Committee for Professional Standards Retired Victorian Supreme Court Justice Alec Southwell appointed commissioner by the church to investigate the matter found that the complainant despite his long criminal record had mostly given the impression of speaking honestly from actual recollection but concluded as follows bearing in mind the forensic difficulties of the defence occasioned by the very long delay some valid criticism of the complainant s credibility the lack of corroborative evidence and the sworn denial of the respondent I find I am not satisfied that the complaint has been established 174 175 Pell said he had been exonerated while the complainant s solicitor said his client had been vindicated 175 Victoria Police investigations In March 2013 Victoria Police launched Operation Tethering to investigate whether Pell had committed unreported crimes 176 On 20 February 2016 the Herald Sun newspaper reported that Pell had been under investigation for the past year by detectives from the Victoria Police SANO Taskforce over sexual abuse allegations involving between five and ten boys that occurred between 1978 and 2001 when he was a priest in Ballarat and when he was archbishop of Melbourne 177 His office issued a statement denying the allegations and asked for an inquiry into the leaking of information by Victoria Police officers 177 Victoria Police remained silent on whether Pell was being investigated 177 The SANO Taskforce was established in 2012 to investigate allegations arising from the Victorian Government Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations and the subsequent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 177 178 On 28 July 2016 the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Graham Ashton confirmed that there was an investigation into alleged child sexual abuse by Pell and stated he was awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions DPP 179 180 181 On 17 August 2016 Victoria Police said a response had been received from the DPP but would not disclose the DPP s recommendations 182 In October 2016 three Victoria Police officers from the SANO Task Force flew to Rome to interview Pell who participated voluntarily regarding allegations of sexual assault 183 In February 2017 Victoria Police advised that the brief of evidence against Pell had been returned to the Office of Public Prosecutions That Office subsequently provided advice to Victoria Police in May 2017 184 185 Trial conviction and acquittal Initial charges and hearings On 29 June 2017 Victoria Police announced they were charging Pell with a series of sexual assault offences with several counts and several victims 5 At a press conference in Rome Pell denied the allegations 186 187 Pell left the Vatican in July and voluntarily returned to Australia to face trial 188 189 Details of the charges were not made public On 26 July 2017 Pell appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court and entered a plea of not guilty He was represented by barrister Robert Richter 190 191 An application by the media seeking public disclosure of the details of the charges was refused by the magistrate 190 At a procedural hearing in November Pell s lawyers requested documents from ABC News journalist Louise Milligan and Melbourne University Press relating to Milligan s book Cardinal the Rise and Fall of George Pell which was published in early 2017 192 In January 2018 accuser Damian Dignan died after a long illness 193 194 Dignan s charge was withdrawn 195 Pell s lawyers requested but were denied the personal medical information of the complainants 196 Pell s defence was reported to be based on questioning the timing of allegations 197 Some other charges were dropped after a complainant was ruled medically unfit to give evidence 198 The committal hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence to commit Pell to stand trial commenced on 5 March 2018 199 200 The hearing allowed for approximately fifty witnesses to give evidence including former choirboys 201 199 The magistrate allowed Pell s barrister to cross examine all but five witnesses 199 Pell s barrister said the allegations involving St Patrick s Cathedral were impossible 201 200 202 Magistrate Belinda Wallington concluded that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed on about half of the charges On 1 May 2018 Pell was committed to stand trial on several charges of sexual offending 203 204 Pell entered pleas of not guilty 205 As a bail condition Pell was not permitted to leave Australia 206 207 On 2 May 2018 Pell appeared in the County Court of Victoria for a directions hearing before Judge Sue Pullen It it was agreed that he would undergo two separate trials with two separate juries and that the charges would be heard separately for each trial He was to be tried in relation to allegations of sexual offences taking place at St Patrick s Cathedral Melbourne in 1990 in the first case the cathedral trial and in relation to further allegations taking place at a Ballarat swimming pool in the 1970s in the second case the swimmers trial 208 Prosecutors sought a media ban on reporting on the trials until the verdict in the second trial 209 A suppression order was subsequently issued by Chief Judge Peter Kidd on 25 June 2018 210 The purpose of the order was to prevent prejudice to Pell caused by jurors in the swimmers trial knowing the outcome of the cathedral trial 210 211 Cathedral trial Pell s first trial for the allegations of misconduct in St Patrick s Cathedral began in August 2018 under Chief Judge Kidd with representation by Robert Richter 212 However it ended with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict This necessitated a retrial with another jury 213 A retrial was conducted again under Kidd On 11 December 2018 Pell was convicted on five counts of child sexual abuse of two boys in the 1990s 214 Australian media outlets generally respected the suppression order preventing publication of details on the cathedral trial whereas international news sources reported the conviction 209 215 216 The Melbourne based Herald Sun posted on its front page CENSORED in large print in protest of the ban noting that international sources were reporting on a very important story that is relevant to Victorians 209 211 In a statement made to The Washington Post Noah Shachtman editor in chief of the online news magazine The Daily Beast consulted with American and Australian lawyers but ultimately considered it an easy call to report on the conviction though he did place geo blocking restrictions to prevent online access to the story from Australia 217 More than 140 international news reports were published within 24 hours Pell s barrister informed Chief Judge Kidd that the guilty verdict was accessible on Wikipedia 209 Swimmers trial prosecution withdraws its case At the time of Pell s conviction in the cathedral trial a second trial was pending regarding unrelated allegations that he sexually assaulted two boys while throwing them in the air in a Ballarat swimming pool in the late 1970s These allegations had been raised by the ABC leading to a Victoria Police investigation however Victoria s Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges after Chief Judge Kidd on 22 February 2019 disallowed the prosecution s submission of evidence from complainants on the grounds that each piece of evidence was not sufficient 218 219 News of Pell s conviction was published in Australia on 26 February 2019 when the suppression order was lifted following the withdrawal 220 Cathedral trial sentencing At a pre sentencing hearing on 27 February 2019 Pell s bail was revoked and he was taken into custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison 221 Pell s lawyers released a statement that Pell maintained his innocence and advised that an appeal had been filed on three grounds 221 222 The sentencing hearing 223 on 13 March 2019 was broadcast live to the public with Chief Judge Kidd sentencing Pell to serve six years in jail with a non parole period of three years and eight months 224 225 Pell was also registered as a sex offender 226 227 He served 404 days in prison much of it in solitary confinement before being acquitted Breach of suppression order by media In the Supreme Court on 26 March 2019 Victoria s Director of Public Prosecutions named 36 media outlets journalists and broadcasters and applied that they be found guilty convicted and either imprisoned or fined for breaching the suppression order International media did not face charges 228 Appeal The Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria heard pleadings for Pell being granted leave to appeal simultaneously with the appeal itself in June 2019 Pell was represented by Bret Walker SC Three grounds of appeal were lodged that the verdict was unreasonable that permission to use in their closing address a visual aid prepared by the defence that illustrated the locations of people within the cathedral around the time of the first assault had been refused and that Pell had not been arraigned in the presence of the jury as is required under standard criminal procedures in Victoria Judgment was reserved without setting a date to deliver the decision 229 230 On 21 August 2019 the Court of Appeal issued its ruling which upheld the convictions 231 The three judge panel comprised Chief Justice Anne Ferguson President of the Court of Appeal Justice Chris Maxwell and Justice Mark Weinberg On the first ground of appeal that the verdict was unreasonable the court granted leave to appeal but dismissed the appeal by a majority 2 1 decision 231 Ferguson and Maxwell dismissed the appeal Ferguson stated that for the appeal to succeed the court needed to find that the jury must have had doubt as to the defendant s guilt not merely that they could have had doubt Weinberg issued a dissenting judgment and would have allowed the appeal on the first ground 231 Whilst Ferguson and Maxwell stated that they did not experience a doubt in the case Weinberg the dissenting judge likened the case to that of Lindy Chamberlain which had seen wrongful conviction by a jury and appeal court based on faulty evidence 232 233 Weinberg wrote that the applicant should be acquitted on each charge 234 235 The court unanimously refused leave to appeal on the second and third grounds 231 Acquittal In September 2019 Pell sought special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia the final court of appeal in Australia 236 237 Pell s lawyers submitted that Pell s conviction should be overturned on the basis that in the face of exculpatory evidence the Court of Appeal had relied on their belief in the complainant to eliminate doubt and uphold the conviction The prosecution submission asserted that the appeal judgement had glossed over evidence that supported his conviction 238 The appeal was heard on 11 and 12 March 2020 by a full bench of seven justices 239 On 7 April 2020 in a unanimous judgment the High Court allowed the appeal quashing Pell s convictions and determining that judgments of acquittal be entered in their place 240 241 242 243 The court found that the jury ought to have entertained a doubt as to the applicant s guilt 244 The court agreed with Weinberg s judgment in the Court of Appeal finding that the majority might have effectively reversed the burden of proof 245 In their judgment the judges said with respect to all five charges that Making full allowance for the advantages enjoyed by the jury there is a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted 246 Reactions after acquittal Criticism of ABC s Pell coverage Following Pell s acquittal prior media coverage of his case came under intense scrutiny Australia s national broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC was accused of sustained bias against Pell both before and during the trial and appeals 247 Pell said the ABC had betrayed the national interest in overwhelmingly presenting a single view of the case and that he was a target because of his socially conservative views 248 The ABC dismissed criticisms of its coverage and defended its pursuit of Pell as having been without fear or favour 249 After criticism that its documentary series Revelation which presented Pell as guilty had been timed to coincide with the High Court decision the ABC denied rushing the program but temporarily removed it from its digital platform to allow the producers to include reference to Pell s acquittal and subsequent release from Barwon Prison The series was restored to ABC s digital platform and went on to win the Walkley Documentary Award 250 251 The ABC noted that Revelation had actually been pushed back several days due to Prime Minister Scott Morrison making a televised address to the nation regarding the COVID 19 outbreak 252 253 Criticism of Victorian criminal justice system Criticism of the conduct of Victoria Police the DPP and the Court of Appeal judges resulted from the High Court verdict Right wing commentator Keith Windschuttle published a book The Persecution of George Pell arguing that Pell had faced a concerted campaign by Victorian police judiciary and victims advocates to convict him on flimsy evidence 254 Media charges In January 2021 the Supreme Court of Victoria heard charges against 27 media companies reporters and editors with offences mainly contempt of court for their coverage of the Pell verdict by breaching the suppression order and the subjudice rule even though no outlet had named Pell in their coverage but rather had published protests at the suppression order 255 Twelve media companies including the Herald Sun the Courier Mail the Sydney Morning Herald The Age which was fined 450 000 News Corp Australia which was fined 400 000 and Nine Entertainment Co whose other newspapers were fined 162 000 pleaded guilty to contempt of court and apologised The companies were to receive fines and would pay 650 000 of the state s legal costs In exchange for these guilty pleas 15 charges against individual journalists were dropped 256 Justice John Dixon found that the 12 organisations had usurped the role of the court they had taken it upon themselves to determine where the balance ought to lie between Pell s right to a fair trial and the public s right to know He did not accept their submission that their breach of the suppression order was an honest mistake Rather he found in most cases the reporting demonstrated that the organisations disagreed with the suppression order and felt the media should not be restrained from reporting the outcome of the trial Although media overseas had reported Pell s conviction he thought that potential jury members for the second trial were likely to rely upon local media rather than an internet search and in any case overseas reporting did not affect the seriousness of Australian media s breach of the suppression order 257 2022 legal action In 2022 The father of a schoolboy who was allegedly abused by Pell launched legal action against Pell and the Archdiocese of Melbourne In August that year the case was allowed to proceed 258 WritingsPell wrote widely in religious and secular magazines including journals and newspapers in Australia and overseas 2 He regularly spoke on television and radio His other publications included The Sisters of St Joseph in Swan Hill 1922 72 1972 Catholicism in Australia 1988 Rerum Novarum One Hundred Years Later 1992 Catholicism and the Architecture of Freedom Pell George 1977 Bread stones or fairy floss religious education today pamphlet Melbourne Australian Catholic Truth Society Publications 1979 Are our secondary schools Catholic pamphlet Melbourne Australian Catholic Truth Society Publications 1982 An evaluation of the goal of moral autonomy in the theory and practice of Lawrence Kohlberg microfiche Clayton Melbourne Monash University doi 10 4225 03 597eca733a8dc with Woods Mary Helen 1996 Issues of Faith and Morals paperback Melbourne Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 553978 3 For senior secondary classes and parish groups 1999 Catholicism and the architecture of freedom The Inaugural Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom St Leonards Sydney Centre for Independent Studies Australia p 14 ISBN 978 1 86432 044 2 Archived from the original oration on 27 March 2019 Retrieved 11 March 2016 2004 Livingstone Tess ed Be not afraid collected writing paperback Sydney Duffy amp Snellgrove ISBN 978 1 876631 97 0 A collection of homilies and reflections 2007 Casey M A ed God and Caesar Selected Essays on Religion Politics and Society paperback Ballan Victoria Connor Court ISBN 978 0 8132 1503 7 2010 Livingstone Tess ed Test Everything Hold Fast to What Is Good paperback Ballan Victoria Connor Court ISBN 978 1 9214 2137 2 2020 Prison Journal Volume One The Cardinal Makes His Appeal 27 February 13 July 2019 paperback San Francisco Ignatius Press ISBN 9781621644484 2021 Prison Journal Volume Two The State Court Rejects the Appeal 14 July 2019 30 November 2019 paperback San Francisco Ignatius Press ISBN 9781621644507 2021 Prison Journal Volume Three The High Court Frees an Innocent Man paperback San Francisco Ignatius Press ISBN 9781621644514 DistinctionsOrders Holy See Knight Grand Cross 2001 Grand Prior of the New South Wales Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre 2001 2013 2 Grand Prior of the Australian Lieutenancy Southern of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre 1998 2001 Australia Companion of the Order of Australia 2005 for service to the Catholic Church in Australia and internationally to raising debate on matters of an ethical and spiritual nature to education and social justice 259 c Awards Australia Centenary Medal 2001 for service to Australian society through the Catholic Church 263 Other Ecclesiastical Grand Cross and Ecclesiastical Grand Cross of Merit of the Malta Paris obedience of the Order of Saint Lazarus statuted 1910 2003 for longstanding commitment to ecumenism 264 and service as National Chaplain 2001 See alsoCatholic sexual abuse scandal in Victoria St Mary s Cathedral SydneyReferencesNotes One of his fellow seminarians at Corpus Christi was Denis Hart 13 38 39 Pell s successor as Archbishop of Melbourne 13 page needed The CDF has had jurisdiction over sexual offences committed by the Catholic clergy with minors since 2001 Its proceedings are secret 55 On 21 August 2019 the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison said that he plans to follow precedent and see that a recommendation is made to the Governor General that this honour be revoked after Pell lost his appeal against his sexual abuse convictions 260 The Governor General also issued a statement noting that such a conviction is grounds for termination of an appointment to the Order of Australia but also declaring that no action will be taken until the appeals process is completed 261 262 Citations Cardinal George Pell dies in Rome aged 81 after hip surgery former Vatican finances chief was Australia s top ranking Catholic Australian Broadcasting Corporation website 11 January 2022 Retrieved 11 January 2022 a b c d Meet George Pell Australia s Newest Cardinal Australia ABC News October 2003 Archived from the original on 4 April 2018 Retrieved 4 July 2017 a b Catholic Church Victoria 21 September 2012 Facing the Truth Learning from the Past How the Catholic Church in Victoria has Responded to Child Abuse submission to Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non Government Organisations PDF Report Retrieved 6 July 2017 Family and Community Development Committee 2013 Betrayal of trust inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non government organisations Volume 2 PDF East Melbourne Victoria Parliament of Victoria ISBN 9780987372857 a b c d e George Pell Catholic cardinal charged with historical sexual assault offences Australia ABC News 29 June 2017 Retrieved 29 June 2017 Posthumous sources Controversial Catholic cleric Pell dies aged 81 BBC News 11 January 2023 Retrieved 11 January 2023 But the cleric left his post in 2017 returning to Australia to face trial on child sex abuse charges A jury in 2018 found he had abused two boys while Archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s Cardinal Pell who always maintained his innocence spent 13 months in prison before the High Court of Australia quashed the verdict in 2020 McGuirk Rod Winfield Nicole Perry Nick 11 January 2023 Cardinal Pell whose convictions were overturned dies at 81 Associated Press Retrieved 11 January 2023 spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia on child sex abuse charges before his convictions were overturned Pal Alasdair Feast Lincoln 11 January 2023 Reaction to the death of Australian Cardinal George Pell Reuters Retrieved 11 January 2023 George Pell a leading Roman Catholic conservative and former top Vatican official who in 2020 was acquitted of child sexual abuse allegations Cardinal Pell a divisive figure cleared of sexual abuse France 24 Agence France Presse 11 January 2023 Retrieved 11 January 2023 leaves a legacy forever marked by a paedophilia conviction that was later overturned served 12 months in jail before a court quashed his conviction on five counts of sexually abusing 13 year old choirboys in the 1990s Cardinal George Pell dies in Rome aged 81 after hip surgery ABC News Australia 11 January 2023 Retrieved 11 January 2023 was jailed in Australia for child sexual abuse in 2019 but vigorously maintained his innocence and had his convictions quashed more than a year later Collett Michael 18 September 2019 The Catholic Church has its own secret investigation into Pell Here s who is running it Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 12 May 2021 a b Kardinaal Pell ook door Vaticaan vrijgesproken van seksueel misbruik Nederlands Dagblad in Dutch Retrieved 1 June 2021 a b c d Cardinal Pell knew of clergy abuse says Australian royal commission BBC News 7 May 2020 Retrieved 8 May 2020 a b Arinze Francis George Francis Medina Estevez Jorge Pell George eds 2005 Cardinal Reflections Active Participation and the Liturgy Chicago Hillenbrand Books p vi ISBN 978 1 59525 013 1 a b c d e f Miranda Salvador Pell George The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church Archived from the original on 31 December 2013 Retrieved 4 May 2010 self published source Miller Nick 26 February 2019 George Pell the ambitious Australian bulldog The boy from Ballarat Newcastle Herald Retrieved 28 February 2019 a b c d e f Livingstone Tess 2004 George Pell Defender of the Faith Down Under San Francisco Ignatius Press ISBN 978 0 89870 984 1 a b c d e f Our Archbishop Biography Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Archived from the original on 26 March 2009 a b Zwartz Barney 1 October 2003 The inexorable rise of George Pell The Age Melbourne Australia Retrieved 13 March 2012 Pentin Edward 20 August 2019 Cardinal George Pell A Timeline National Catholic Register United States Retrieved 17 September 2019 George Pell Who is the cardinal convicted of sexual abuse BBC News 26 February 2019 Retrieved 17 September 2019 Pell George 1972 The Exercise of Authority in Early Christianity from about 170 to about 270 DPhil dissertation University of Oxford OCLC 85480988 Retrieved 14 August 2020 Pell pushed the right buttons in Rome SBS News 25 February 2014 Retrieved 10 January 2023 a b Pell Card George Holy See Press Office Archived from the original on 4 September 2017 Retrieved 26 November 2017 Rinunce e Nomine 21 12 2002 Press release in Italian Holy See Press Office 21 December 2002 Retrieved 27 February 2019 Rinunce e Nomine 22 12 2012 Press release in Italian Holy See Press Office 22 September 2012 Retrieved 27 February 2019 Pell George 10 February 2005 Newman and the Drama of True and False Conscience A Zenit Daily Dispatch Chicago Retrieved 13 March 2012 Kennedy Jean 20 February 2006 Pell accused of Catholic dictatorship transcript The World Today Australia ABC NewsRadio Retrieved 13 March 2012 Dale David 16 January 2010 Box office profit won t make paganism one of our favourite things The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 16 December 2010 List of the 31 New Cardinals The New York Times Reuters 28 September 2003 Retrieved 4 March 2019 Assignment of the Titles or the Deaconries to the new Cardinals Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff 21 October 2003 Archived from the original on 19 August 2016 Retrieved 13 April 2020 Conclave to elect a new pope begins Boston Globe Associated Press 12 March 2013 Retrieved 28 February 2019 Elie Paul 1 January 2006 The Year of Two Popes The Atlantic Retrieved 4 March 2019 a b Zwartz Barney O Grady Desmond 21 April 2005 Faith s enforcer offers hand of unity The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 13 March 2012 Grubel James 23 February 2007 Catholics call time on long winded eulogies Reuters Retrieved 27 October 2016 Sydney to host next Catholic World Youth Day Australia ABC News 22 August 2005 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Sydney The Sydney Morning Herald 13 July 2008 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Pope Benedict XVI visits Australia in 2008 Australia National Film and Sound Archive 2018 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Christian leaders use Easter to attack atheism Australia ABC News 2 April 2010 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Atheists are believers who hate God says Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen News com Australia 2 April 2010 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Pell and Jensen raise IR protest to critical mass The Sydney Morning Herald 6 August 2005 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Archbishops meet for launch The Age 30 October 2002 Retrieved 16 December 2018 Archive index at the Wayback Machine Thomas Philippa 11 March 2013 Conclave to elect a new Pope Interactive video BBC News Retrieved 13 April 2013 a b Kelly Michael 27 February 2019 How did George Pell get to where he was La Croix Retrieved 27 February 2019 Thomas Stafford Cardinal Williams Catholic Hierarchy www catholic hierarchy org Retrieved 11 January 2023 Pope selects Pell others to reform church Australia ABC News Reuters 13 April 2013 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Willey David 2015 The Promise of Francis The Man the Pope and the Challenge of Change New York Gallery Books published 2017 p 61 ISBN 978 1 4767 8906 4 Australian Cardinal to head new Vatican Secretariat for Economy Press release The Holy See 24 February 2014 Archived from the original on 1 March 2014 Retrieved 24 February 2014 via Dicasterium pro Communicatione Cardinal George Pell named as head of Vatican finances will relocate to Rome Australia ABC News 25 February 2014 Retrieved 27 February 2014 a b Press Conference for the presentation of the New Economic Framework for the Holy See Press release Holy See Press Office 9 July 2014 Retrieved 22 May 2015 Rinunce e nomine 13 09 2014 Press release in Italian Holy See Press Office 13 September 2014 Retrieved 27 February 2019 Vatican Secretariat for Economy launches new financial management polices Vatican Radio 6 November 2014 Retrieved 22 May 2015 Vatican economic reform plans meeting resistance leading Italian journalist reports Catholic World News Catholic Culture 17 February 2015 Retrieved 22 May 2015 Tornielli Andrea 16 February 2015 Vatican Doubts grow over Pell s excessive powers Vatican Insider Vatican City Archived from the original on 8 April 2015 Retrieved 22 May 2015 Sources George Pell removed from Vatican s cardinal council Australia ABC News 13 December 2018 Retrieved 13 December 2018 Horowitz Jason Povoledo Elisabetta 12 December 2018 Pope Expels Two Cardinals Implicated in Sex Abuse From His Council The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 13 December 2018 Bordoni Linda 12 December 2018 Council of Cardinal Advisors wrap up December meeting Vatican News Retrieved 13 December 2018 Burke Greg 12 December 2018 Briefing by the Director of the Holy See Press Office Greg Burke on the 27th Meeting of the Council of Cardinals with the Holy Father Francis 12 12 2018 Press release Holy See Press Office Retrieved 14 December 2018 Pope Francis cuts George Pell and two other cardinals from Vatican council news com au Associated Press 13 December 2018 Retrieved 13 December 2018 Cardinal Pell no longer prefect of Vatican s economy secretariat Catholic News Agency 26 February 2019 Retrieved 27 March 2019 Wooden Cindy 27 February 2019 Vatican announces canonical investigation of Cardinal Pell National Catholic Reporter Catholic News Service Retrieved 11 April 2020 Collett Michael 18 September 2019 What is the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and why is it investigating George Pell ABC News Retrieved 11 April 2020 Vatican says it will await results of Pell s appeal of sex abuse conviction Crux 26 February 2019 Retrieved 11 April 2020 Brennan Bridget Whalan Roscoe 21 August 2019 George Pell s failed appeal now a monumental test for Pope Francis ABC News Retrieved 11 April 2020 Allen Elise Ann 7 April 2020 Vatican welcomes Pell verdict affirms anti abuse resolve as survivors protest Crux Retrieved 11 April 2020 Maley Jacqueline 18 February 2010 Pell gets booster for heart The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 13 March 2019 Neil Megan 11 December 2015 Pell to return in February The New Daily Retrieved 14 December 2015 Brown Michelle 8 February 2016 Pell excused from giving royal commission evidence in person Australia ABC News Retrieved 13 March 2019 a b c d Cardinal George Pell tells child sexual abuse royal commission Catholic Church made enormous mistakes ABC News 29 February 2016 Retrieved 29 February 2016 George Pell admitted to hospital The Daily Examiner 15 December 2018 Retrieved 13 April 2020 George Pell Cardinal s bid to overturn conviction begins BBC News 5 June 2019 Retrieved 13 April 2020 George Pell spends night in Melbourne Assessment Prison after his bail is revoked Australia ABC News 28 February 2019 Retrieved 1 March 2019 Estcourt David 11 January 2023 Cardinal George Pell dies aged 81 after complications from hip surgery The Sydney Morning Herald a b Allen Elise Ann 11 January 2023 Cardinal George Pell a giant in more ways than one dies at 81 Crux Now Retrieved 11 January 2023 Juanola Marta Pascual 11 January 2023 George Pell death updates Cardinal dies age 81 to be buried in Sydney The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 11 January 2023 Henderson Gerard 29 October 2007 Cardinal George Pell s Book God and Caesar Speech Sydney Australia The Sydney Institute Archived from the original on 20 March 2015 a b Pell George 10 June 2007 Question of conscience The Sunday Telegraph Australia Retrieved 8 August 2011 Cardinal Pell hopes for mandatory ad orientem worship says Obama has very slight curriculum vitae Catholic World News 20 March 2009 Religion and Atheism transcript Q amp A Australia ABC TV 9 April 2012 Retrieved 16 April 2012 Perpitch Nicolas 10 April 2012 Adam and Eve That s just mythology says Pell The Australian Cardinal Pell Ending Celibacy Rule Would Be a Blunder Opus Bono Sacerdotii Vatican City Zenit 12 October 2005 Archived from the original on 28 June 2006 Retrieved 5 May 2006 a b Gearin Mary 28 February 2013 Pell criticises Pope s decision to quit Australia ABC News Retrieved 6 March 2013 Viva il Papa Legacy Elections amp the Future Church with Bishop Anthony Fisher Q amp A Theology on Tap Retrieved 27 February 2019 Pell George 19 August 2001 Most Churches in Australia observe next Sunday as Refugee Sunday Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Archived from the original on 22 July 2011 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Labor rethinks detention stance Lateline Australia ABC TV 28 January 2002 Archived from the original transcript on 31 July 2016 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Pell George 16 September 2001 George Pell Catholics Archbishop Sunday Nights transcript Interviewed by John Cleary ABC NewsRadio Retrieved 8 August 2011 Morris Linda 5 May 2006 Pell challenges Islam o ye of little tolerant faith The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 27 February 2019 Pell George 28 October 2007 Jury out on climate change The Sunday Telegraph Australia Retrieved 8 August 2011 Rowbotham Jill 25 October 2007 Heat on Pell for cool air on climate change The Australian Archived from the original on 30 October 2007 Retrieved 7 April 2009 Morris Linda 25 October 2007 Pell out of touch on climate bishop The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 13 March 2012 Scammell Rosie 17 July 2015 Cardinal Pell on environmental encyclical Church has no particular expertise in science America Religion News Service Retrieved 27 February 2019 a b Morris Linda 15 July 2008 Populate or perish says Cardinal Pell The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 11 January 2023 a b Economist condemns Pell s push for more babies ABC News 15 July 2008 Retrieved 11 January 2023 Quoted in Mark O Connor and William Lines Overloading Australia How governments and media dither and deny on population 4th ed Sydney Envirobook 2010 p 144 Hartcher Peter 18 July 2008 Time to deliver an earthly miracle The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 11 January 2023 Pell George 19 September 2010 Ramadan Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Archived from the original on 22 July 2011 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Pell George 12 October 2004 Is there only secular democracy Imagining other possibilities for the third millennium Speech Acton Institute Annual Dinner Grand Rapids Michigan Archived from the original transcript on 8 February 2006 Retrieved 8 May 2006 Israeli Raphael 2017 Muslim Minorities in Modern States The Challenge of Assimilation Routledge ISBN 9781351504065 Retrieved 28 February 2019 Cardinal Pell of Sydney encourages Catholics to read Koran Catholic News Agency 4 May 2006 Retrieved 28 February 2019 Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney 2013 Archived from the original on 1 February 2014 a b Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney 2012 Archived from the original on 1 February 2014 Pell George 14 May 2001 Christians amp Jews the way ahead Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Archived from the original on 8 February 2015 Retrieved 23 April 2012 a b Australian cardinal apologizes for problematic remarks on Jews The Times of Israel Jewish Telegraphic Agency 15 April 2012 Retrieved 16 April 2012 Pearlman Jonathan 12 April 2012 Australia s most senior ranked Catholic says Jews intellectually and morally inferior The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 15 July 2017 Gilchrist Michael June 2001 Archbishop Pell installed in Sydney AD2000 14 5 3 Archived from the original on 28 June 2011 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Pell George 22 July 2001 Family Life Today Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Archived from the original on 20 March 2012 Retrieved 8 August 2011 George Pell Catholics Archbishop ABC NewsRadio 15 November 2004 Retrieved 28 February 2019 George Pell told to face court on historical sexual assault charges Australia ABC News 29 June 2017 Retrieved 21 February 2019 Marr David 29 June 2017 George Pell profile the pope s Australian hardman faces the fight of his life Guardian Australia Retrieved 21 February 2019 Pell lashes out after gays refused communion The Sydney Morning Herald 20 May 2002 Retrieved 22 March 2019 Jackman Josh 1 May 2018 Pope s former aide who said being gay is wrong faces trial for sex offences Pink News Stapleton John 11 April 2009 Condoms will not save Africa Archbishop George Pell The Australian Retrieved 26 April 2009 Tovey Josephine 11 April 2009 Pell backs Pope in saying condoms worsen AIDS spread The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 26 April 2009 Toole Mike Moodie Rob 14 April 2009 The evidence on preventing AIDS is clear The Age Retrieved 26 April 2009 Pope s Light of the World Interview Sends Media into Meltdown Press release Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney 24 November 2010 Archived from the original on 22 July 2011 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Catholic Church funds stem cell research 9News Australian Associated Press 17 March 2010 Archived from the original on 3 October 2012 Retrieved 9 April 2012 a b Kaveny Cathleen 2016 A Culture of Engagement Law Religion and Morality Moral Tradition Series Washington Georgetown University Press ISBN 978 1 62616 302 7 a b MPs turn attack back on Cardinal Pell The Sydney Morning Herald Australian Associated Press 6 June 2007 Cardinal Pell sounding like Sheik Hilali MP says News com au Australian Associated Press 6 June 2007 Archived from the original on 9 October 2007 Retrieved 9 April 2012 Pell slams stalinist parliamentary contempt probe CatholicNews 18 June 2007 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Inquiry into comments made by Cardinal George Pell Privileges Committee of the Legislative Council Parliament of New South Wales 19 September 2007 Archived from the original on 16 March 2011 Retrieved 8 August 2011 Saint John s College Act 1857 NSW s 4 Library Varieties of Intolerance Religious and Secular catholicculture org Retrieved 28 February 2019 Cardinal George Pell uses sermon to apologise to victims of sexual abuse Guardian Australia 28 March 2015 a b Tobin Bernadette 9 March 2014 Royal commission provides an opportunity to further the Pell response The Sydney Morning Herald a b c d e f g h Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 2015 Report of Case Study No 16 The Melbourne Response Sydney Commonwealth of Australia ISBN 978 1 925289 29 9 Retrieved 6 July 2017 a b c George Pell s career in the Catholic Church SBS News SBS 29 June 2017 Retrieved 7 July 2017 Goddard Chris 1 June 2013 Minimising crimes How the church is playing with words The Age Retrieved 29 June 2017 Andresen Brigid 27 May 2013 Cardinal George Pell admits Church covered up cases of child sex abuse Australia ABC News Retrieved 29 June 2017 Cardinal George Pell sorry for Church abuse 7 30 Report Australia ABC TV 27 May 2015 Marr David 28 May 2013 George Pell Everything except his testimony spoke of power Guardian Australia Retrieved 29 June 2017 Passport Proves Cardinal George Pell s point The Courier Mail 27 June 2015 a b Benns Matthew 10 March 2014 Lawyers acting for Church run up 1 5m bill against victim who wanted to settle for just 100 000 The Daily Telegraph Australia a b c Defiant Cardinal George Pell says sex abuse royal commission will separate fact from fiction News com au Australian Associated Press 13 November 2012 Archived from the original on 21 December 2012 Retrieved 29 January 2013 Pell says sorry to abuse victims in Christmas message Radio Australia 24 December 2012 Owens Jared Perpitch Nicolas 24 December 2012 Pell apology a cultural shift for Catholic church over child sex abuse The Australian Australian Associated Press Retrieved 29 January 2013 Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell says sorry to victims of clergy abuse News com au Australian Associated Press 24 December 2012 Archived from the original on 27 January 2013 Retrieved 29 January 2013 Cardinal Pell s Christmas message The Sydney Morning Herald 24 December 2012 Archived from the original streaming video on 10 March 2014 Retrieved 29 January 2013 Tovey Josephine Coorey Phillip 15 November 2012 Jail threat for clergy who hide abuse The Sydney Morning Herald EVIDENCE ACT 1995 SECT 127 Religious confessions Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Retrieved 11 January 2023 Mimmo Rocco Confessional also has protection of the law The Australian a b Sales Leigh 13 November 2012 Archbishop Pell reacts to abuse inquiry transcript 7 30 Report Australia ABC TV Retrieved 29 January 2013 a b Owens Jared Perpitch Nicolas 14 November 2012 Confessions still sacrosanct says Cardinal George Pell The Australian Retrieved 29 January 2013 a b Tovey Josephine Coorey Phillip 14 November 2012 Abuse confessions should not be secret O Farrell The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 29 January 2013 George Pell granted leave by Pope to fight historical sexual assault offences Australia ABC News 30 June 2017 Marshall Debi The girls the paedophile and Cardinal Pell SBS News SBS Archived from the original on 27 February 2016 a b c d Furness SC Gail B Stewart SC Angus Free Stephen 10 June 2016 Case Study 28 Catholic Church Authorities in Ballarat Submissions of Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission Report Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Archived from the original on 15 August 2017 Retrieved 4 September 2018 a b Why Pell and the Church are the target of so much rage Australia ABC News 18 February 2016 Retrieved 18 February 2016 Culzac Natasha 23 August 2014 Australian Cardinal George Pell offends truckers with sex abuse analogy The Independent Retrieved 20 February 2016 Truckers outraged by Cardinal George Pell s sex abuse comparison The Guardian 22 August 2014 Retrieved 20 February 2016 a b Top Vatican cleric compares child sex abuse to a trucker molesting a woman IrishCentral 23 August 2014 Retrieved 20 February 2016 a b Cardinal George Pell told in 1970s of claims of abuse royal commission hears Herald Sun 20 May 2015 Retrieved 17 February 2016 Dodd Liz 22 August 2014 Australian cardinal angers abuse victims The Tablet Retrieved 20 February 2016 Cardinal George Pell too ill to travel from Rome for child sex abuse inquiry Australia ABC News 5 February 2016 Retrieved 17 February 2016 George Pell excused from giving evidence at child sexual abuse royal commission in person Australia ABC News 8 February 2016 Retrieved 17 February 2016 George Pell Abuse survivors to travel to Rome for Cardinal s testimony after crowdfunding campaign Australia ABC News 16 February 2016 Retrieved 17 February 2016 a b Tim Minchin s Cardinal George Pell song hurting abuse victims Jesuit priest says Australia ABC News 17 February 2016 Retrieved 17 February 2016 Come Home Cardinal Pell Tim Minchin on YouTube Craw Victoria 29 January 2016 Cardinal George Pell to face Royal Commission from Rome Hotel news com au Retrieved 7 July 2017 a b Church mucked up with paedophile priests Vatican finance chief MSN 29 February 2016 Archived from the original on 2 March 2016 Retrieved 29 February 2016 Pentin Edward 8 June 2016 Cardinal Pell Turns 75 Pope to Keep Him on as Vatican Finance Chief National Catholic Register EWTN News Inc Archived from the original on 9 June 2016 Retrieved 11 June 2016 Callinan Roy 27 May 2015 Catholic Church s worst paedophile Gerald Ridsdale was unleashed on Sydney s southern beaches The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 1 March 2016 Franklin J 2015 Gerald Ridsdale pedophile priest in his own words PDF Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society 36 219 230 Paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale gets more jail time for abusing 12 kids Australia ABC News 31 August 2017 Retrieved 31 December 2017 Former priest pleads guilty to child abuse Australia ABC News 7 August 2006 Retrieved 25 November 2009 Victims of paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale felt dirty scared and confused court told Australia ABC News 18 March 2014 Retrieved 21 May 2015 Akerman Tessa 20 May 2015 Priest Gerald Ridsdale s abuse no secret in parish The Australian Retrieved 22 May 2015 Devic Aleks 29 November 2013 Predator priest Gerald Ridsdale found victims wherever the Catholic Church moved him across Australia Herald Sun Retrieved 22 May 2015 Why is Bongiorno not vilified as was Pell Why is Pell the scapegoat Herald Sun 27 May 2016 Hawkins Derek 29 June 2017 Sex abuse scandal has followed Cardinal George Pell for decades The Washington Post Lee Jane 21 May 2015 Royal commission told Cardinal George Pell tried to buy victim s silence about abuse The Age Retrieved 22 May 2015 Donovan Samantha 20 May 2015 Royal Commission hears Cardinal Pell offered victim bribe to keep clerical sex abuse quiet transcript PM Australia ABC Local Radio Retrieved 18 May 2017 Report of Case Study No 28 Catholic Church authorities in Ballarat PDF Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Retrieved 8 May 2020 Report of Case Study No 35 Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne PDF Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Retrieved 8 May 2020 a b c Davey Melissa 7 May 2020 He should have done more key findings from the newly released George Pell reports The Guardian Retrieved 8 May 2020 Pell knew of abuse by paedophile priest inquiry Australian Associated Press 7 May 2020 Retrieved 8 May 2020 Tate Andrew 8 May 2020 Royal Commission redactions The horrors that church and George Pell let slide The New Daily Retrieved 8 May 2020 Paul Sonali 7 May 2020 Australian inquiry finds Cardinal Pell knew of child sex abuse Reuters Retrieved 8 May 2020 Church grapples to come to terms with Pell conviction Fonseca Michele 22 August 2002 Catholic church reeling from sex abuse claims transcript PM Australia ABC Local Radio Retrieved 8 August 2011 Southwell A J 14 October 2002 Report of an Inquiry into an allegation of sexual abuse against Archbishop George Pell Report National Committee for Professional Standards Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archived from the original on 20 October 2002 a b Burke Kelly 15 October 2002 Exonerated not forgotten The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 8 August 2011 Police had started George Pell taskforce before any crime was reported Australia ABC News 28 March 2018 Retrieved 29 March 2018 a b c d Morris Marr Lucie 20 February 2016 Victoria Police investigating Cardinal Pell Herald Sun Retrieved 27 July 2017 Wells Rachel 30 November 2012 Police launch sex abuse taskforce The Age Retrieved 27 July 2017 George Pell subject of Victoria Police investigation into multiple allegations of sexual abuse ABC News 27 July 2016 Archived from the original on 28 July 2016 Retrieved 27 July 2016 Cowie Tom Bourke Latika 28 July 2016 Victoria s top cop says sex abuse charges against George Pell still a possibility The Age Retrieved 29 July 2016 Milligan Louise 27 July 2016 George Pell investigated over multiple allegations of sexual abuse 7 30 Australia ABC TV Archived from the original on 22 August 2016 Retrieved 17 August 2016 Carmody Broede 17 August 2016 Police set to interview Cardinal George Pell The Age Retrieved 17 August 2016 Milligan Louise 27 October 2016 George Pell voluntarily interviewed by Victoria Police in Rome over historic child abuse allegations 7 30 Australia ABC TV Archived from the original on 2 July 2017 Retrieved 26 July 2017 Akerman Tessa 7 February 2017 George Pell accusations sent to prosectors a second time The Australian Retrieved 27 July 2017 subscription required Victoria Police receive legal advice on Pell investigation SBS News Special Broadcasting Service 17 May 2017 Retrieved 27 July 2017 Lord Kathy 29 June 2017 George Pell granted leave by Pope to fight historical sexual assault offences Australia ABC News Retrieved 29 June 2017 George Pell Cardinal addresses media after being charged with sexual assault offences Australia ABC News 29 June 2017 Retrieved 30 June 2017 Baidawi Adam 10 July 2017 Cardinal George Pell Returns to Australia The New York Times Retrieved 26 March 2019 Singhal Pallavi 10 July 2017 Cardinal George Pell returns to Australia to face historical sex abuse charges The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 26 March 2019 a b Younger Emma 26 July 2017 George Pell faces Melbourne Magistrates Court on historical sexual offence charges Australia ABC News Retrieved 26 July 2017 George Pell to attend court hearing on historical sexual assault charges ABC News 24 July 2017 Retrieved 26 July 2017 Percy Karen 23 November 2017 Cardinal George Pell s legal team requests documents from ABC journalist Louise Milligan book publisher Retrieved 9 January 2018 Cardinal Pell Man who accused cleric of abuse dies BBC News 8 January 2018 Retrieved 1 September 2019 Davey Melissa 8 January 2018 George Pell accuser dies before cardinal faces child sexual abuse trial The Guardian Retrieved 8 January 2018 Prosecutors withdraw one charge against Cardinal George Pell The New Daily 2 March 2018 Retrieved 2 March 2018 Cardinal George Pell s lawyers denied access to more accusers medical records Guardian Australia Australian Associated Press 21 February 2018 Retrieved 21 February 2018 Cardinal Pell s lawyers to try to prove accusations are a recent invention Australia ABC News 27 February 2018 Retrieved 27 February 2018 A number of charges against George Pell to be dropped Australia ABC News 23 March 2018 Retrieved 29 March 2018 a b c Younger Emma Cardinal George Pell appears at Melbourne Magistrates Court to fight historical sexual offence allegations Australia ABC News Retrieved 7 October 2017 a b Four week court hearing for Cardinal Pell SBS News Australian Associated Press 7 October 2017 Retrieved 7 October 2017 a b Deery Shannon 6 October 2017 Cardinal George Pell expected to return to Melbourne court over historic sexual offence charges Herald Sun Retrieved 7 October 2017 Akerman Tessa 7 October 2017 50 witnesses to be called in Cardinal George Pell hearing The Australian Retrieved 7 October 2017 Cardinal Pell ordered to stand trial on sexual assault charges BBC News 1 May 2018 Retrieved 3 May 2018 Cardinal George Pell pleads not guilty to historical sexual offence charges after being committed to stand trial Australian Broadcasting Corporation Cardinal George Pell will stand trial over historical sexual offence charges live Guardian Australia 1 May 2018 Younger Emma 1 May 2018 Cardinal George Pell faces directions hearing after being committed to stand trial Australia ABC News Retrieved 2 May 2018 Cowie Tom 1 May 2018 Treated like any other accused George Pell s life of extremes The Age Retrieved 3 May 2018 Cooper Adam 2 May 2018 George Pell set to face two trials over historical assault allegations Retrieved 3 May 2018 a b c d Suppression orders Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance 2 May 2019 Retrieved 24 April 2020 a b Suppression order Chief Judge Kid 25 June 2018 Proceeding Suppression Order page 1 County Court of Victoria Retrieved 24 April 2020 Chief Judge Kid 25 June 2018 Proceeding Suppression Order page 2 County Court of Victoria Retrieved 24 April 2020 a b Younger Emma 27 February 2019 George Pell s trial for child sexual abuse was held in secret This is why ABC News Retrieved 24 April 2020 Defending George Pell I believe Pell s a good man The Guardian 3 August 2020 Inside the Pell trial we sat in court for months forbidden from reporting a word The Guardian co 27 February 2019 Guilty verdict Australia s Cardinal Pell found guilty of sex abuse expected to appeal Catholic Register Archived from the original on 15 December 2018 Retrieved 21 February 2019 Cardinal Pell top advisor to Pope Francis found guilty of historical sexual offenses America Magazine 12 December 2018 Retrieved 13 December 2018 Condon Ed Reports of Pell guilty verdict emerge despite gag order Catholic News Agency Retrieved 13 December 2018 Farhl Paul 13 December 2018 An Australian court s gag order is no match for the Internet as word gets out about prominent cardinal s conviction The Washington Post Retrieved 16 December 2018 Cartwright Lachlan 11 December 2018 Vatican No 3 Cardinal George Pell Convicted on Charges He Sexually Abused Choir Boys The Daily Beast Retrieved 16 December 2018 Cave Damien Albeck Ripka Livia 13 March 2019 How We Reported on the Cardinal Pell Sex Abuse Case That for Months Was Kept Secret From the Public The New York Times Retrieved 24 April 2020 Sullivan Margaret 12 December 2018 A top cardinal s sex abuse conviction is huge news in Australia But the media can t report it there The Washington Post Retrieved 16 December 2018 George Pell swimming pool sexual assault charges dropped The Australian 26 February 2019 DPP v Pell Evidential Ruling No 1 2019 VCC 149 Austlii County Court of Victoria 22 February 2019 Retrieved 24 April 2020 Davey Melissa 26 February 2019 George Pell cardinal found guilty of child sexual assault Guardian Australia Retrieved 27 February 2019 a b George Pell remanded in custody after bail revoked at court hearing for child sex offences Australia ABC News 27 February 2019 Retrieved 27 February 2019 Cardinal Pell to appeal verdict The Catholic Weekly 26 February 2019 Retrieved 25 April 2020 Crime and Appeals List County Court Victoria Archived from the original on 13 March 2019 Retrieved 13 March 2019 Rose Tim Rugg Eliza Ansell Benjamin 14 March 2019 George Pell alone handcuffed and in the back of a prison van 9News Retrieved 14 March 2019 Cardinal George Pell s fate to be broadcast live to the world SBS News Retrieved 11 March 2019 Sweeney Karen 13 March 2019 George Pell sentenced to six years in jail over sex abuse against teenage boys PerthNow Retrieved 13 March 2019 George Pell s full sentencing as issued by Chief Judge Peter Kidd ABC News 13 March 2019 Retrieved 11 January 2023 Cooper Adam 26 March 2019 DPP moves to jail dozens of editors journalists over reports after Pell verdict The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 26 March 2019 Cooper Adam 6 June 2019 Judges weighing up appeal after Pell s victim named in court gaffe The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 6 June 2019 Davey Melissa 6 June 2019 George Pell appeal prosecutor struggles to answer judges questions Guardian Australia Retrieved 6 June 2019 a b c d VCA dismissal George Pell Victorian Court of Appeal judgment summary transcript Australia ABC News 21 August 2019 Retrieved 24 August 2019 Albeck Ripka Livia 20 August 2019 Cardinal George Pell s Sexual Abuse Conviction Is Upheld The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 21 August 2019 McGowan Michael 21 August 2019 Cardinal George Pell loses appeal on child sexual assault conviction live Guardian Australia Retrieved 21 August 2019 Butt Craig Cooper Adam Grieve Charlotte 21 August 2019 George Pell appeal LIVE Cardinal s appeal is dismissed The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 21 August 2019 Patrick A Odysseus 21 August 2019 Court upholds convictions against highest ranking Vatican official jailed on charges of child sex abuse The Washington Post Retrieved 21 August 2019 Dissenting judge used Lindy Chamberlain s case to dismiss guilty Pell verdict MSN 22 August 2019 Archived from the original on 19 October 2019 Retrieved 11 January 2023 George Pell v The Queen Victorian Court of Appeal Zhou Naamam 21 August 2019 He was a witness of truth why the judges decided Cardinal George Pell was guilty The Guardian Retrieved 11 January 2023 Pell v The Queen 2019 VSCA 186 21 August 2019 Farnsworth Sarah 17 September 2019 George Pell seeks leave to appeal child sex abuse convictions in High Court ABC News Retrieved 17 September 2019 Le Grand Chip 20 September 2019 Choirboy can be believed and Pell freed Cardinal s lawyers say The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 20 September 2019 Henriques Gomes Luke 3 February 2020 George Pell s appeal glosses over evidence that supports conviction DPP says The Guardian London England Retrieved 3 February 2020 Davey Melissa 12 March 2020 George Pell high court reserves decision on granting special leave for an appeal The Guardian Retrieved 12 March 2020 Davey Melissa 7 April 2020 George Pell Australian cardinal to be released from jail after high court quashes child sex abuse conviction The Guardian London England Retrieved 7 April 2020 Court quashes Cardinal Pell s abuse convictions BBC News 7 April 2020 Retrieved 7 April 2020 Le Grand Chip 7 April 2020 Pell to walk free after High Court overturns conviction The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 7 April 2020 Travesty of justice trusted institutions fail Pell public The Australian 11 April 2020 Retrieved 11 January 2023 Judgment Summary Pell v The Queen 2020 HCA 12 PDF 7 April 2020 Retrieved 11 April 2020 Pell v The Queen 2020 HCA 12 7 April 2020 Pell v The Queen 2020 HCA 12 at 119 127 7 April 2020 ABC backs its reporting on George Pell after Andrew Bolt accuses it of a witch hunt The Guardian London England 8 April 2020 George Pell says culture wars contributed to him being wrongfully jailed for child sexual abuse Australian Broadcasting Corporation 14 April 2020 Retrieved 27 April 2020 McMurtrie Craig 11 April 2020 Why the ABC s reporting of the George Pell case wasn t a witch hunt Australian Broadcasting Corporation Correction to Greg Craven s column in The Australian The Australian Broadcasting Corporation 9 April 2020 Amanda Meade 9 April 2020 ABC to re edit and restore George Pell episode of Revelation as News Corp goes on attack The Guardian Revelation episodes 2 amp 3 to air next week About the ABC Schedule Update REVELATION to air over two nights next week on ABC 25 March 2020 Grace Damian 2020 Review of The Persecution of George Pell PDF Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society 41 167 170 Retrieved 25 April 2021 Bucci Nino 29 January 2021 Pell contempt case journalists under scrutiny after 27 charged over verdict s coverage The Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2021 Sources Bucci Nino 28 January 2021 Age editor tells court he believed legal advice allowed George Pell story to be published The Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2021 Bucci Nino 11 February 2021 Media outlets guilty of contempt in George Pell trial didn t read suppression order or seek legal advice The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 20 February 2021 Bucci Nino 10 February 2021 George Pell contempt hearing news companies to pay cost of prosecution The Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2021 Cardinal Pell case Australian news outlets admit breaching legal ban BBC News 1 February 2021 Retrieved 20 February 2021 Sources McGowan Michael 4 June 2021 George Pell news organisations fined more than 1m over reporting of sexual abuse verdict The Guardian Retrieved 4 June 2021 Cooper Adam 4 June 2021 Media fined a combined 1 1m for contempt of court breaches in Pell reports The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 5 June 2021 Sarre Rick 4 June 2021 Why have media outlets been fined more than 1 million for their Pell reporting The Conversation Retrieved 5 June 2021 Akerman Tessa 5 June 2021 Media outlets fined 1m over Pell reports The Australian subscription required The Queen v The Herald amp Weekly Times Pty Ltd 2021 VSC 253 Catholic Church suffers setback as court rules lawsuit brought by Pell accuser s father can continue ABC News 24 August 2022 PELL Eminence Cardinal George Companion of the Order of Australia It s an Honour Australian Government 13 June 2005 Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 24 May 2015 Karp Paul 27 February 2019 PM to strip George Pell of Order of Australia honour if cardinal loses appeal The Guardian Retrieved 1 April 2019 Governor General won t revoke honours before Pell s legal bids run their course ABC News 21 August 2019 Retrieved 21 August 2019 McCulloch Daniel 21 August 2019 George Pell s Australian honours in doubt The Canberra Times Retrieved 21 August 2019 Pell George Centenary Medal It s an Honour Australian Government 1 January 2001 Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 24 May 2015 Cardinal George Pell EGCLJ GCMLJ PDF Grand Priory of Australia a Jurisdiction of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem Archived from the original PDF on 28 February 2015 Retrieved 24 May 2015 Further readingLivingstone Tess 2002 George Pell Potts Point New South Wales Duffy amp Snellgrove ISBN 978 1 876631 52 9 Livingstone Tess 2004 George Pell defender of the faith down under American ed United States Ignatius Press ISBN 978 0 89870 984 1 Marr David 2013 The Prince Faith Abuse and George Pell Quarterly Essay Vol 51 Carlton Victoria Black Inc Books ISBN 978 1 863 95616 1 Milligan Louise 2017 Cardinal the rise and fall of George Pell Melbourne Melbourne University Publishing ISBN 978 0 522 87135 7 Morris Marr Lucie Foster Chrissie 2019 Fallen the inside story of the secret trial and conviction of Cardinal George Pell Sydney Allen amp Unwin ISBN 978 1 76087 605 0 Wang Jessica 11 January 2023 George Pell death From jail to release a timeline of the Cardinal s biggest controversies The Australian a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Pell Wikiquote has quotations related to George Pell Pell Card George Holy See Press Office Archived from the original on 4 September 2017 Retrieved 26 November 2017 Cardinal George Pell Biography Archdiocese of Sydney Catholic Church titlesPreceded byMarion Francis Forst TITULAR Titular Bishop of Scala30 March 1987 16 July 1996 Succeeded byEdward Joseph AdamsPreceded byFrank Little Archbishop of Melbourne16 July 1996 26 March 2001 Succeeded byDenis James HartPreceded byEdward Bede Clancy Archbishop of Sydney26 March 2001 24 February 2014 Succeeded byAnthony Colin FisherPreceded byIgnacio Antonio Velasco Garcia Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello21 October 2003 10 January 2023 VacantNew dicastery Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy24 February 2014 24 February 2019 Succeeded byJuan Antonio Guerrero Alves Portals Biography Catholicism New South Wales Australia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Pell amp oldid 1133091802, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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