Pell asked to appear before commission

Sky News
June 1, 2015

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/06/01/pell-asked-to-appear-before-commission.html

The Catholic Church of Melbourne is urging Australians to give George Pell a fair go, saying the cardinal has worked hard to rid the church of the evil of clergy sexual abuse.

Following damning criticism of Cardinal Pell in the wake of the Royal Commission into child sex abuse in Ballarat, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has responded with a statement urging people to hold off from making hasty judgments.

Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart said today he hopes all Australians who believe in a fair go will give Cardinal Pell the opportunity to answer the criticisms that have been raised in both the Royal Commission and the media before drawing any final conclusions. In a statement on Monday the royal commission said international residents could not be summonsed to appear at a hearing.

But because Cardinal Pell has expressed his intention to fully co-operate with the investigations they would ask him to give evidence.

'The Chair has received a letter from Cardinal Pell indicating that he is prepared to come to Australia to give evidence,' the statement says.

'The royal commission will ask him to give evidence in the second of the Ballarat hearings.'

Cardinal Pell came under fire again following claims aired in the first Ballarat hearings that he offered bribes or ignored warnings about Australia's worst paedophile priest, Gerald Risdale.

He has repeatedly denied those claims.

The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne came out in his defence on Monday urging people to hold off from making hasty judgments.

'I hope all Australians who believe in a fair go will give Cardinal Pell the opportunity to answer the criticisms that have been raised in both the royal commission and the media before drawing any final conclusions,' Archbishop Denis Hart says in a statement.

Cardinal Pell is a 'good man, an honest man' who has been willing to admit to his mistakes, the archbishop says.

Victim groups are keen for Cardinal Pell to respond to the allegations.

In Good Faith Foundation chief executive Helen Last says numerous pedophile priests have been protected by the Catholic Church over the years, some while Cardinal Pell held top-ranking positions.

'It's not only Ballarat that's the problem, it's the Melbourne archdiocese, Healesville, Sunbury, it's Doveton,' Ms Last told 3AW radio on Monday.

Cardinal Pell has also faced criticism from the church itself, with one of Pope Francis's closest advisers describing the cardinal's position as 'untenable'.

Peter Saunders was hand picked by the Pope six months ago to be the Catholic Church's commissioner for the protection of children.

'He is making a mockery of the Pope himself, but most of all the victims and the survivors,' Mr Saunders told the Nine Network.

'He has a catalogue of denigrating people, of acting with callousness, cold-heartedness, almost sociopathic I would go as far as to say, this lack of care.'

Cardinal Pell is seeking legal advice over what he calls false and misleading claims by Mr Saunders.