Posted on 01/10/2023 3:05:39 PM PST by naturalman1975
Vatican journalists are reporting Australia’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has died following complications from hip replacement surgery.
The Herald Sun has sought confirmation from a number of Cardinal Pell’s representatives.
He was 81.
Since being acquitted of child sexual abuse offences by the High Court in 2020 Pell had spent time between Rome and Sydney.
Despite having convictions on five child sexual abuse charges over the abuse of two choir boys quashed by the High Court, the Cardinal was being sued by the father of one of the boys.
The boy died of a heroin overdose in 2014 before Pell was charged and before his death denied ever being abused.
His father is suing Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and Cardinal Pell claiming he suffered psychological harm upon learning of the alleged abuse against his son.
The Herald Sun understands that as part of the trial both Cardinal Pell and the surviving choir boy, known only as Witness J, were to be called to testify as witnesses in the case.
Sources familiar with the case said the civil trial would rehash all of the evidence heard at Pell’s two criminal trials and appeals before the Supreme Court and High court.
The evidence of Pell was to be crucial to the case.
Cardinal Pell spent 405 days in prison after being convicted on four counts of indecent assault and one of sexual penetration of a child over the alleged abuse of the two choirboys.
He was released after the High Court quashed his convictions, finding the jury who found him guilty was wrong to do so, having not considered the entirety of the evidence at trial.
The investigation resulting in charges being laid against Cardinal Pell began in 2013 before any complaint had been made against him.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldsun.com.au ...
He forgave those who trespassed against him.
May he rest in peace.
+1
Oh, no. If you have not read his 3 volume Prison Journals, you should. A great man.
I am grateful he was vindicated before he died. He appears to have been a great man, and a great churchman.
Thanks naturalman1975;
*PING* to you others.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
I have read them and found them inspiring in the extreme.
His faith allowed him to find value in the most terrible circumstances.
In term, I would suggest Keith Windschuttle’s “The Persecution of George Pell” to anybody who wishes to understand what happened.
I feel immensely for those who have been genuinely harmed by abuse - but nothing is done to relieve that by just finding a scapegoat.
The focus on Pell allowed real bad actors - like Bishop Mulkearns of Ballarat - to be almost ignored.
RIP Cardinal Pell
Rest In Peace, Cardinal Pell.
What loss for the faith. Dear Lord, Welcome Your servant , George Cardinal Pell, into Your kingdom that he may glorify Your name for all eternity. Amen
Oh, too bad. I admired him a lot.
Thank you for posting, will pray for the repose of his soul and for those who persecuted him.
Yes,the Catholic Church has been “fair game” throughout the West for years...as have conservatives. I hope that,and fully expect that,the Creator was pleased with the Cardinal’s life.
Another one finding his way into the pit. Mary won’t help you
Gosh, they forgot to mention how he blew the whistle on financial shenanigans in the Vatican.
Guess they didn’t have enough space.
Cardinal Pell was an innocent man that believed in our church of old. For this he was persecuted by the present Pope for crimes he did not commit but crimes actually committed by others in the church this pope protects. His death is sad.
I did not leave my church. The church under the present pope left me.
Indeed. He fought and won.
That said, I’d be asking for an autopsy and investigation. He was hated by Rome … well, by Bergoglio.
Yeah, and he died in Rome. I am suspicious. Did Francis report on Cardinal Pell’s funeral plans a few days before he died, just as he did with Pope Benedict? Inquiring minds want to know.
RIP Cardinal Pell. Another good one one bites the dust.
I also know Pope Francis posted the following tweet just after Cardinal Pell was finally acquitted.
Some in the Church have tried to say Francis wasn't referring to Pell, but the tweet appeared so soon after the acquittal, I find it hard to believe it wasn't.
That’s good to hear.
But I have always felt that one of the problems with Francis is that he often says one thing while turning a blind eye to the fact that the opposite is actually occurring in practice, usually at the hands of one of his unpleasant associates.
The Vatican (meaning that generally anonymous flock of apparatchiks) was definitely not supportive of Pell and in fact there’s some indication that the persecution of Pell suited many of them just fine.
But I am glad to hear that at least in person or in his contacts with Pell, Francis was supportive and encouraging.
I shouldn’t have been quite as extreme and uncharitable in my statement…it’s just that nowadays any sudden death in Rome seems to be cause for suspicion!
Of course when you look back over the centuries, sudden deaths in Rome have always been suspicious. In the Renaissance it was as if they had an official “Vatican Dept. Of Poisoning.”
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