Pell seeks legal advice after Vatican official slams 'mockery' of abuse victims

By Melissa Davey
Guardian
June 01, 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/01/pell-seeks-legal-advice-after-vatican-official-slams-mockery-of-abuse-victims

Peter Saunders told Channel Nine, ‘[Cardinal Pell] is making a mockery of the papal commission, of the pope himself, but most of all, of victims and survivors.’ Photo by Jane Dempster

George Pell has threatened legal action after a member of the Vatican’s commission for the protection of children accused him of “making a mockery” of child sexual abuse victims.

Peter Saunders, himself a victim of child sexual abuse, said Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic cardinal, had an “almost sociopathic” disregard for victims of child sexual abuse through his repeated denial of any knowledge of abuse within the church.

But a statement issued on Pell’s behalf on Monday said: “The false and misleading claims made against His Eminence are outrageous. The cardinal is left no alternative but to consult with his legal advisers.”

Saunders had earlier told Channel Nine: “I personally think his position is untenable, because he has now a catalogue of denials, he has a catalogue of denigrating people, of acting with callousness, coldheartedness, [he is] almost sociopathic I would go so far as to say.

“He is making a mockery of the papal commission, of the pope himself, but most of all, of victims and survivors.”

As the head of the Vatican’s finances, Pell is one of the Pope’s most trusted advisors and is Australia’s most senior Catholic.

During hearings of Australia’s royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, held in the Victorian town of Ballarat last week, a victim of notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale accused Pell of bribing him to keep quiet about the abuse. The commission also heard Pell was involved in the decision to move Ridsdale between parishes when his abuses came to light.

Pell has previously appeared before the royal commission twice via videolink from the Vatican.

“I believe that [Pell] has at the very least a moral responsibility to fly straight back and to tell the royal commission everything he knows, everything he knows in order to allay the fears many victims and survivors feel, which is that he’s avoiding facing some very, very difficult truths, which is his past behaviour,” Saunders told Channel Nine.

“He is a massive, massive thorn in the side of Pope Francis’s papacy if he’s allowed to remain, and I think it’s critical he is moved aside, that he is sent back to Australia and that the Pope takes the strongest action against him.”

If Francis did not remove Pell, Saunders said, then the “greatness” of his papacy would be challenged.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Pell denied allegations of covering up abuse and said he had cooperated fully with the royal commission.

“He has never condoned or protected offenders, has never condoned or participated in moving known offenders and did not at any time attempt to bribe David Ridsdale, whose story has varied many times over the years,” the statement said.

“The cardinal has repeated many times his deepest sympathy for the victims of abuse and their families. He has made it clear on several occasions he supports the work of the royal commission, where he has already appeared twice, and remains willing to assist in its work.”