Church mucked up with paedophile priests:Vatican finance chief


Sydney, Feb 29, (AFP) : Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell today admitted the Catholic Church "mucked up" in dealing with paedophile priests and vowed he would not "defend the indefensible" before an Australian inquiry.

Pell gave evidence from a hotel in Rome via video-link to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney rather than appear in person as he has a heart condition.

The inquiry is currently focused on the Victorian state town of Ballarat, where Pell grew up and worked, and how the church dealt with complaints, many dating back to the 1970s, against the Catholic clergy.

Pell, who rose to be the top Catholic official in Australia, said the church historically made grave errors in not properly addressing the issue and was now working to remedy them.

"Let me just say this, as an initial clarification, and that is I'm not here to defend the indefensible," he said after swearing on the Bible to tell the truth.

"The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those. The church in many places, certainly in Australia, has mucked things up, has let people down."

He acknowledged that in the past the church's general attitude to abuse was that it was "much, much more difficult for the child to be believed" and complaints were often dismissed.

"I don't have the statistics on that but too many of them certainly were dismissed and sometimes they were dismissed in absolutely scandalous circumstances," he said, adding that the instinct was to protect the church from shame.

"They were very, very, very plausible allegations made by responsible people that were not followed up sufficiently."

But he denied the church's structure was to blame for the way it handled paedophile priests, despite counsel assisting the commission Gail Furness saying many inquiries around the world had found those in senior positions did not take proper action.

"I think the faults overwhelmingly have been more personal faults, personal failures rather than structures," he said.

Pell has always denied knowing of systemic child abuse occurring in Ballarat, including by Gerald Ridsdale, seen as Australia's worst paedophile priest who preyed on dozens of children over two decades.

The pair shared a home but Pell has dismissed claims he helped move him to another parish or that he tried to buy anyone's silence. He told the commission the way Ridsdale was dealt with by church officials was "catastrophic".

"I have just re-read the file of Ridsdale. The priest -- ex-priest -- and the way he was dealt with was a catastrophe. A catastrophe for the victims and a catastrophe for the church," he said.

"If effective action had been taken earlier, an enormous amount of suffering would've been avoided."

  

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Comment on this article

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Promenade Road,Frazer Town,B'lore

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    This is a serious matter which our priests have note and take it as caution to mend their attitudes if required.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mangalorean Atheist, Mangaluru

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    The time has come for all good people in the world to understand and accept that the priest-craft created religion, and religious practices, to control the honest people.

    God, if one exists, does not have ears to listen our prayers, or eyes to see what we wear when going to church.

    So, either accept the reality that religion is the creation of the priest-craft, or pay the price by being subservient to the crafty folks and don't complain.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • ozzie, mangalore

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Honestly speaking nowadays our catholic institutions make us parents very difficult to answer our children as the lifestyle of priests goes against their vows. they own high end cars, A/c rooms, expensive mobiles. Hardly we see them on robes or in confessions. So the vocations are decreased.

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • MAX, BELTHANGADY

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    One who Preaches he should practice first. you will find few priest around us who preach and do something, and supporting injustice, more concern about money only, dividing church into two group, let them come out and let them live married life.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Suleman Byari, Udupi

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Equal to rape.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    It takes guts to call 'A Spade a Spade' ...

    DisAgree [8] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • sid, mangalore

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Guts works abroad , if you show guts in india Ragul Gandhi will come running and term you as Sanghi .

    DisAgree [20] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • SURESH, mumbai

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    @SID, NICE REPLY..

    DisAgree [12] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Rahul protested because your Sanghi's are on a killer spree ...

    DisAgree [9] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    I humbly request the Vatican Finance Chief and the Pope, If they are unable to keep the marriage of celibacy throw them out from the Church rather than maligning the the faith followers of Jesus Christ the Church built on the Rock Foundation.

    Also I request the Vatican Authorities to encourage pedophiles to go out voluntarily.

    Numbers are not important in the Church. Holiness is the most imperative.

    May God bless the Church.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [34] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Corrected message: If they / the pedophiles

    DisAgree [4] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sachidanand Shetty, Mundkur/Dubai

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    I don’t want to comment much but one thing is sure that no religion is immune to this kind of disease. Sometime people tend to forget their own origin what they are while committing hasty activities!!!!

    DisAgree [4] Agree [41] Reply Report Abuse

  • Lydia Lobo, Kadri

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Sachidanand,

    Its similar to, that we have extremely kind men in the society who carry an abandoned/sick person to a shelter and looks after them till they get well. But at the same time there are men who don't let go one chance to attack the weaker.

    So is it with people involved with worship - irrespective of religion. There are very devout worshipping representatives who dedicate their life to Godly services but there are also negative characters who do just the opposite.

    You are right - no religion is immune to this kind of disease.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [38] Reply Report Abuse

  • Lydia Lobo, Kadri

    Mon, Feb 29 2016

    Lets set it straight - practice what you preach. A priest can't be explaining the ninth commandment to learners but slyly do the very forbidden deed.

    When one can't be truthful to celibacy, please depart, respectfully. You are making things easier to the Church administration, than otherwise.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [40] Reply Report Abuse


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