Pell Should Resign, Abuse Victim Says

By Daniel Fogarty
The Australian
May 27, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/pell-should-resign-abuse-victim-says/story-fn3dxiwe-1226651652648

VICTIMS of clergy sexual abuse say the Catholic Church must change and end an era of cover-ups and unaccountability.

Australia's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has apologised to victims and said he accepted moral responsibility for failures committed by his predecessors.

Hundreds of victims and their supporters attended Monday's hearing of the Victorian parliamentary abuse inquiry in Melbourne, with many queueing for several hours to hear the cardinal's evidence.

Some victims protested outside the hearing, holding banners that urged Cardinal Pell to tell the truth.

There were angry scenes before the hearing when it appeared space would not be able to be found for people in an overflow room, but they were all accommodated.

After enduring more than four hours of Cardinal Pell's testimony, victims were less than impressed with what he said.

Stephen Woods, who was abused by a pedophile priest, said there must be change in the church beginning with the resignation of Cardinal Pell.

"I would really love to see someone come up who is very young and is absolutely willing to change the system," Mr Woods said.

"Unfortunately it is like trying to change a massive ship in the middle of a storm. It is very difficult to change the direction.

"You are trying to change a major institution in society.

"(Cardinal Pell) needs to resign. His era is finished."

Judy Courtin, a PhD student studying sexual assault in the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Pell's position has been to use the letter of the law to guide his moral position on issues of abuse.

"I think he should have resigned a long time ago as should several of the archbishops," she told AAP.

Ms Courtin said Cardinal Pell claimed the church's Melbourne Response system for dealing with abuse claims was about justice, healing and facing the truth, when in fact it retraumatised victims.

But Anthony Foster, whose two daughters were abused by a pedophile priest, says it would be too easy for Cardinal Pell to resign now and he must stay on and help victims.