Church Will Pay but Not US Amounts: Pell

By Genevieve Gannon
Herald Sun
May 27, 2013

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/church-will-pay-but-not-us-amounts-pell/story-fni0xqi4-1226651584942

Cardinal George Pell says the Catholic Church will pay abuse victims appropriate compensation

CARDINAL George Pell says the Catholic Church will pay victims of child sex abuse appropriate compensation but he doesn't think it has a moral obligation to match the billions paid out in the United States.

Australia's most senior Catholic says the church will pay whatever the law deems necessary.

"We are always ready to pay whatever the law of the land says about compensation," Cardinal Pell told a Victorian child abuse inquiry.

"Many of the victims aren't particularly interested in money.

"The more important thing is due process, justice and help with getting on with their lives.

"The church will continue to fulfil its obligations as they're defined in Australian society and will continue to try to help victims."

The Victorian parliamentary committee put to Cardinal Pell that compensation paid by the church in Australia - a maximum of $75,000 - was "a pittance" compared with US payouts, totalling $3.3 billion over the past 15 years.

  He admitted it was low compared with the US but said it would compare favourably with other parts of the world.

"I don't believe we have a moral obligation to match the unusual figures from the United States."

The inquiry has been told the Catholic Church is Australia's biggest private property owner and non-government employer and owns a $30 million property in Rome.

Committee member Andrea Coote put it to Cardinal Pell that perhaps the church could sell its "splendid palace".

The cost of the Rome property could have been enough to provide $75,000 - the cap the church places on compensation - to 400 victims, she said.

Cardinal Pell said the Rome property was a hostel and an investment.

"We don't need to sell our investments to pay our damages," he said.

He was asked by Ms Coote where the morality was in paying victims of clerical sex abuse a "mere $75,000" when he had the opportunity to stay at a $30 million residence in Rome and the Catholic Church in Australia has millions of dollars in assets.

"The church has never claimed it would be unable to pay appropriate compensation," Cardinal Pell said.