George Pell critic Peter Saunders spoke only for himself, says Vatican spokesman

By Desmond O'grady
Sydney Morning Herald
June 2, 2015

http://www.smh.com.au/world/george-pell-critic-peter-saunders-spoke-only-for-himself-says-vatican-spokesman-20150602-ghemsp.html

Former Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell at a thanksgiving for his service. Photo by Wolter Peeters

Accuser: Peter Saunders in a screengrab from 60 Minutes. Photo by Channel Nine

Australian Cardinal George Pell appearing at the child sex abuse inquiry in 2013. Photo by Joe Armao

Rome: The Vatican has said that abuse survivor Peter Saunders did not speak for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors when he called on Pope Francis to fire Cardinal Pell over allegations the cleric helped cover up paedophile activity in Australia. 

Mr Saunders said on Sunday Cardinal Pell was "a dangerous individual" and "almost sociopathic" in his response to child sexual abuse victims.

"I think anybody who is a serious obstacle to the work of the commission and to the work of the Pope in trying to clean up the church's act over this matter, I think they need to be taken aside very, very quickly and removed from any kind of position of influence."

Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican press office, said on Monday that "Mr Saunders spoke for himself and not for the commission which does not investigate or judge individual cases".

Nonetheless, Pope Francis' attempts to reform the Vatican rely heavily on Cardinal George Pell, making the Australian a sensitive target of criticism within the Church leadership.

As soon as Cardinal Pell arrived last year and brought his collaborator Danny Casey from Sydney, there were accusations that an "Australian Mafia" had taken over Vatican finances.  

When he announced plans to establish a Vatican Asset Management unit there were fears that he would control the Vatican's future.

An unnamed Vatican employee, asked who in the Vatican disliked Cardinal Pell, answered that only question was "who dislikes him most".

While such sentiments aren't unusual for a tough money manager, some criticised Cardinall Pell's allegedly extravagant expenses in coments made to the Italian weekly L'Espresso in March. 

The statutes that he was asked to draw up for his office drew internal criticism as well, and were later modified. Since then there have been no further announcements about the asset management unit and the Vatican Bank's plans to establish an investment company in Luxemburg have been quashed. 

The Vatican Bank, whose profits rose to 69.3 million euro ($99.2 million) last year, was established in 1942 to help religious orders such as the Franciscans and Jesuits move money across borders in wartime. It more recent years it has reputedly been used for laundering money - 4614 accounts have now been closed.

Cardinal Pell is unlikely to be shifted unless scandals emerge, Vatican insiders say. On the whole he is credited with moving towards the Pope's desired transparency and efficiency.

The cardinals who elected Pope Francis wanted him to reform the scandal-scarred Vatican. Francis appointed a geographically-based reform council of eight cardinals (now nine), including Cardinal Pell who had to carry out the most urgent reform - that of finances.  

The second reform, that of the Vatican as a whole, is still to commence.The third reform, that of the Synod of Bishops to enable bishops worldwide to govern the church together with the Pope, ran into stormy weather at its meeting last year and there is uncertainty about its follow up in October.

But Cardinal Pell is considered a feather in Francis's cap who he reportedly calls 'the ranger', presumably because rangers exercise vigilance. In the Italian press he is known as a rugbyista (rugly player), as if he was a bruising forward rather than a ruckman.

In the Secretariat of State he was accused of grandstanding because he told the media that he had found huge sums stacked away which, they claimed, were reserve funds known to the popes.

One cardinal said Cardinal Pell must have run his own show in Sydney but had to get used to a more collegial style in the Roman Curia, the Vatican's administrative offices.

He can also be his own worst enemy with insensitive comments such as when he compared sexual abusers with truckies.

But Mr Saunders himself is unlikely to make friends in the Vatican. The Protection of Minors Commission, headed by Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston,  advises the pope on measures to reduce the likelihood of child abuse. It does not have a spokesperson.  

Commission members are expected to leave crusading behind but Mr Saunders has not done so. Recently he called on Pope Francis to cancel the appointment of a Chilean bishop, Juan Barros, accused of complicity with a notorious child abuser condemned by the Vatican. The Vatican probably foresaw the extensive protests. Pope Francis did not dismiss Barros. 

Francis wanted abuse victims in the commission but is unlikely to relish them telling him what to do.