Cardinal Pell: Money "Never a Concern"

By Pat Mitchell
3AW
August 21, 2014

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-news-blog/cardinal-pell-money-never-a-concern/20140821-3e3dp.html

Cardinal George Pell admits he originally took complaints about sexual abuse involving Catholic clergy with a "grain of salt".

He told the Royal Commission into child abuse via video link from the Vatican there were groups such as Broken Rites who very active in pushing for the church to act on behalf of the victims.

"With some of those groups, I took what they said with a grain of salt but nonetheless there was evidence that something needed to be done to deal with the suffering," he said.

He added money was never a primary concern when he set up the Melbourne Response compensation scheme for the victims of abuse by the clergy.

He told the commission his main concern was not to protect the church's finances but to help the victims.

He also defended the original compensation cap of $50,000 in 1996.

"The $50,000 then would be worth about $120,000 now," he said.

"I would image that going from $50,000 to $75,000 is going forward."