Convicted child molester Cardinal George Pell is in court in Melbourne Australia right now for his per-sentencing hearing (It’s just past 10:30 am Wednesday in Melbourne. The hearing was scheduled to begin at 10 am)
Here’s link to a twitter feed with coverage of his arrival at the courthouse and information regarding the Cardinals’s court schedule for the day:
Cardinal George Pell has arrived at Melbourne's County Court for a pre-sentencing hearing after his conviction on five counts of child sex abuse. https://t.co/nn3fMDfRIQ #7News pic.twitter.com/90nqruAjm3
— 7 News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) February 26, 2019
As always at times like this, please keep the Pell victims, and their families, in your prayers
Enough for now,
Sylvia
We can’t pray for Cardinal Pell’s victims because he doesn’t have any, however we will pray for our dear Cardinal who has been persecuted beyond believe. You can literally smell the evil in the air in Melbourne, for those of us who know Cardinal Pell and know what went on during the 80’s and 90’s know very well that this vicious witch-hunt against this holy man comes directly from hell. Outside the kangaroo court room was the same scene written by Luke, Chapter. 23:
“As always at times like this, please keep the Pell victims, and their families, in your prayers”
Perhaps it is Cardinal Pell who is in need of prayers. ManyAustralian Catholics who are familiar with the Cardinal and the circumstances of the accusations against him believe he is innocent, and that his conviction is a gross miscarriage of justice.
These Catholics know that certain anti-Catholic interest groups in Australia have had Cardinal Pell in their sights for very many years and have engaged in smear campaigns of the most despicable kind against him. It would take a book to tell of all such goings-on, and the tangled web of lies that has been spun by those whose motives are far from pure.
As one example, take the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission), who under a thin veneer of respectability are virulently anti-Catholic, and probably masonic to boot. They are now baying for blood, and have for a long time used every opportunity and every devious means to paint the Cardinal in the worst possible light. That he is now convicted will no doubt be a cause of joy to them, and will precipitate a veritable feeding-frenzy in their midst.
Yet in 1975 the chairman of the ABC, Richard Downing, oversaw an interview of three pederasts who claimed that it is good for adult men to have sex with young boys. And as the author of the following article from 2016 in The Australian, Australia’s flagship newspaper, asks: Will anyone at the public broadcaster in Australia apologise for the fact that four decades ago the ABC chairman called on Australians to “understand the culture” of men who wanted to have sex with young children?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/media-watch-dog-216-richard-downing-and-understanding-pederasty/news-story/ad21455f35b6922615786190791e9c7d
Another article from 2016 in The Spectator also highlights the anti-Catholic climate in Australia, and exposes the hypocrisy and impure motives of those who are so ready to impute wrongdoing to Cardinal Pell.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/03/immoral-relativity/
It is tragic that men in high positions in the Church today have shown themselves to be very evil. And it is perhaps understandable that because of them all are suspect. Yet, those who have familiarised themselves with the facts can see that there is a great difference between the facts surrounding McCarrick and Pell, for example. It would be easy to lump them together, but Catholics should not fall into that error. Thay have a duty to seek the truth and discern the innocent from the guilty.
Nope.
Catholics only have a duty to be good law abiding citizens. It’s not up to Catholics to make determinations on matters of law. If some jurists and law enforcement personnel happen to be Catholics their faith is not even part of the equation. We’ve been there and we’ve done that. We know what happens when Catholics investigate Catholics and/or police themselves. The result is a transnational cover-up of clerical abuse. The fact of the matter is that Catholics have not and do not know how to respond responsibly to clerical abuse. And the survey predicts that as long as their hierarchy continues to do what it did and still is doing, that they won’t be in any position to responsibly deal with clerical abuse in another 20 years.
BC,
Your statement is absolutely FALSE and you know it!
You said:
The fact of the matter is that Catholics have not and do not know how to respond responsibly to clerical abuse.
That is scandalous, public slander. Either you should apologize in public at this blog or you should be banned until you do. Period!!!
If I do not get an email from Sylvia that she has banished you, until you apologize on this blog, I will never waste my time here again. grow up, whomever you are.
Many of us THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED with the abuse that has gone on. THAT absolutely CONTRADICTS YOUR falsehood. REPENT!
Hold on Karl…you are indignant and express your disgust at a statement made by BC and want him banned yet you say NOTHING about the posts by Mar and Kate that totally discount the victims?? You need to really focus on why you are not worried about what others say to discount the victims. Why Karl? I think you need to apologize to all the victims who you seem to be ignoring!!
There is now and always has been a degree of anti-Catholic sentiment everywhere Mar. It is true, and, unfortunately I must admit, understandably so, that that sentiment has been exacerbated by the sex abuse scandals and cover-ups, and sadly perhaps more so by the latter than the former. Much of the anti-sentiment we hear today an be attributed to the failure by those in authority to protect the flock by recycling known clerical sexual predators, and the outright lying by predators and those who cover-up on their behalf, and the denigration and vilification of virtually every victim who has every found the courage to expose his/her molester as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
That said I can not conceive how you or anyone else could think for a moment that the victim in this case would put himself and his family through this legal wringer. What in the name of all that’s good and holy do you think he has to gain? Why would he subject himself to the likes of a Mr. Richter?
And why
There could be any number of reasons why someone would put themselves through a legal wringer. One reason that springs to mind is money. Some people are prepared to do anything for money.
As well, there is plenty of historical evidence of people falsely accusing others, so it should not be discounted as a possibility in this case.
If they were in it for the money, then they wouldn`t have sought to have Cardinal Pell charged criminally. They would have sued him and the Holy See for it`s vicarious liability.
So true BC…too bad the ones criticizing and denigrating the victim can’t understand this.
The MAIN reason people would put themselves through a legal wringer is to prosecute the truth and make the guilty pay for their crimes. Pay with jail time. An extremely small group would try to do it for money through lies.
Yes, some do falsely accuse others but seriously, in pell’s case I don’t think that is the case. Remove your blinders and look at the whole picture, Mar.
BC is right. The victim could have sued. Why then do you think he put himself through this wringer? There was no need. None.
Can you give us a good example of a criminal case in which someone falsely accused a priest of sexually abusing him or her?
And good for him for having the courage to go to police, and to stick with it.
Sylvia,
You obviously have never heard of Father Gordon MacRae.
He unlike Cardinal Pell was never allowed the benefit of an appeal and has had requests for such an appeal to be allowed by the sentencing judge refused
If you have not heard or read “These Stone Walls” perhaps you should take the time.
The sister of the claimant has said the huge payout he got was gone and spent virtually overnight.
Hopefully, in the case of Father MacRae, his eternal credit will be such that the Almighty will place him high in Heaven on his passing from this world. His work in prison has been extraordinary. His suffering has been immense.
Can you give us a link to this Fr MacRae story? I have just met a family (friends of ours) whose brother’s son, a priest, was acquitted of sexual abuse. Yet, he has not been allowed to function as a priest. So he has now recently left the priesthood (all this within the last 3 years). Even after hearing his side of the story (through his family recently), it’s tough to fathom the truth about all this. Of course I don’t know all the facts. However, I do believe priests have been falsely accused in the past; but I believe the majority that have been accused have indeed been guilty. I think there is definitely a problem within the male dominated RC church that has to come out in the open. Open up the vaults in Rome….like the issue now being discussed about Pope Pius and the Nazis…..Let the Church be transparent and open 100%
Father MacRae’s constitutional rights weren’t violated. His appeal was heard. And Father MacRae didn’t even dispute it’s conclusion; one year ago today. Judge Laplante was not in error in his procedural handling of my habeas corpus appeal. He simply followed existing case law. http://thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/falsely-accused-priest-still-prison/
I was raised RC and have learnt one truth about RC’s- they are not to be believed under any circumstances. Theologically I refer to them as functional atheists. Saying that they are mightily interested in Church as business and as political power play- your site demonstrates this point admirably.
It is a predatory group of people who for far too long have covered for their clerical leadership corps
Mar and Kate…you must both be religious followers of trump! You both seriously believe the trial was a “witch hunt”? That there “are no victims”? It’s obvious to me that neither of you have ever had a loved one have to go through the absolute devastating anguish of trials and investigations…perhaps if you did you would realize how calloused and demeaning your statements are. Rather than denigrate those who brought this man to trial, you should both try to see the situation from both sides instead of the trumpian fake news side you are taking.
Watch it PJJ. I kind of like Trump 🙂
Dear Sylvia,
Please say it isn’t so…
Donald Trump? Over 20 women have accused him of sexual assault… yet he continues to deny it. I know he is FAR from clergy, but really… he has “allegedly” created many victims from his position of power – not that different from the priests who sexually assaulted so many… and I won’t even go into the chaos he seems to love spreading around this planet.
Support for this mysogynistic, racist, homophobic, narcissistic man-child seems incongruent with the wonderful work done here on your site.
Shall we keep the 20 women who have come forward with sexual assault allegations in our prayers too? 🙁
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-sexual-assault-allegation-alva-johnson-claims-women-how-many-accused-kiss-a8796851.html
JL
Wow, Jean-Louis, that is a mouthful: “mysogynistic, racist, homophobic, narcissistic man-child.”
I don’t agree.
“not that different from the priests who sexually assaulted so many”
Again, I don’t agree.
Finally, by all means feel free pray for the women who have come forward with allegations against Donald Trump.
I agree. I find it interesting that anyone can be committed to supporting and believing victims of priestly abuse and support this man. Priestly abuse is betrayal of a power and trust position. How can we not apply the same rules to all who abuse power and position to assault others.
Donald Trump is credibly accused by over 20 women of sexual assault. According to these women he probed with his fingers and his tongue inside women who did not want him there.
In his own words….when you are rich you can do what you want to women…..
To paraphrase him maybe priest abusers would say…when you are Gods annointed you can do what you want to children and parishioners…..
Both are dead wrong. Trump has not been tried and found guilty but his sentiment is clear from the quote.
It is wrong to …like him….in this context. Period. Maybe it is possible to like his views on economics but that has to be clearly separated from his failure to understand the dynamics of abuse and power.
Why do conservative Christians and conservative Catholics give this man who is the antithesis to the gospel a free pass?
Let’s be consistent and call out abuse in all it’s FORMS!!!
D: “Why do conservative Christians and conservative Catholics give this man who is the antithesis to the gospel a free pass?”….Bang on!! I do not get it either. How can Christians actually “worship” that man?? And to be elected president? Wow.
Mar – have you any experience, in a courtroom, when a victim of sexual abuse is testifying in front of their abuser? It sounds like you don’t.
First off, there is NO money for a complainant in a criminal trial. None. So your argument loses me there.
Testifying in front of the abuser is not for the faint of heart, it takes a tremendous amount of courage and fortitude. Also, being grilled by a cruel, out-of-touch rusty old lawyer (Richter) is very intimidating and demeaning, and a false victim would not last very long in these circumstances if it were not the truth.
I think PJJ is right – please pull your head out of the holy sand and look at the reality of all of this. Mike.
I hope you realize that I’m joking PJJ. Not that I kind of like Trump, but with the “watch out.”
Sylvia…of course I know you’re joking! Enjoy your evening and keep up the awesome work on this site.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/27/cardinal-pell-will-go-straight-to-jail-as-bail-application-is-withdrawn
Whatever that means… eh? There`s nothing plain vanilla about sodomizing a child.
CDF opening case against Cardinal Pell; the convicted clerical pervert.
Goof Pell sleeping in solitary tonight where he can`t harm anyone.
Pro clerical pervert conspiracy theorists loose again.
Pell will be sprung from prison in the next few days – bailed while waiting for the outcome of the appeal.
I am confident the appeal will overturn the conviction and the matter when presented before a jury at another trial will fail to reach a unanimous verdict either way,
Will the Australian state attempt a 4th trial?
Aussietomt – I fail completely in trying to understand what the claimant did with the “huge payout” has to do with your argument. Mike.
Mike, I thought the same thing! It rings the same bell as a gossiper. And Aussietomt, you said, “If you have not heard or read “These Stone Walls” perhaps you should take the time.”…have you watched Spotlight?? Perhaps you should take the time to watch it instead of repeating idle gossip that adds no value to a topic.
To Mike Me
I am on an old iPad and unable to do the link….not the fault of the iPad, just me.
The site “These Stone Walls” is very detailed and has so many facts that need attention, so you should be prepared to spend a little time to read and then go back and read some more.
The site details the trial and will take some time to digest fully. So many obstacles are placed in front of Father MacRae that the system of law in the US reads very poorly.
Father MacRae runs the site from prison with the help of a lady outside.
It is now focused very much on his vocation as a priest with much of the good work he has achieved in conversion of prisoners, one in particular, his midnight Sunday mass in the prison and the visits he has been part of, as a group of prisoners who gather to meet prison visitors for baseball and the like.
The astounding fact that highlights the paying of the price for others not charged , the lack of positive action from our church leaders and his sentence as a result.
He was offered a two year sentence if he pleaded guilty, he refused………..his sentence
48 years. He would be somewhere over or just short of half way at this time. Staggering?
The question is , is Cardinal Pell going to pay the price for the sins of others even if the guilty verdict stands?
Cardinal Pell received a jail term of 6 years. Application for parole can be made after serving 3 years and 8 months. Earliest release date November 2022.
Justice Peter Kidd in Melbourne Australia spoke to Pell and to the court for over an hour before passing sentence. Thoughtful. meticulous and considered could be adjectives to use to describe his judgement.
Australia’s Appellate Court considers an appeal against the verdict/sentence on June 05/06. Though Justice Peter Kidd clearly intended to cover all the bases he may very well find the conviction/s and or sentences imposed on Pell overturned or reduced.
Cardinal’s Groer, O’Brien, McCarrick, Barbarin and now Pell. All in the last few years.
No doubt there are others fearfully waiting for that knock on the door when the past comes calling in the form of police officers…..
Mark – yes there are others, some of whom are right here in Canada. Remarkable is the fact that the Canadian connection to all this has been so silent………………..Mike.
Ausietomr – I still do not understand where you are going with this. This case is about Cardinal George Pell, not Father MacRae. If you are suggesting that Pell is innocent, as Father MacRae still insists, then please just say so. As for me, I can’t find any similarities in these two cases.
Also, would you address your comment about how the claimant spent virtually all of the “huge payout” practically “overnight”. What does this have to do with George Pell? Mike.
Aussietomr,
Despite his refusal to plead guilty in the case for which he is incarcerated, Gordon Macrae pled guilty to sexually assaulting 3 other minors and also to soliciting minors for paid sex. He was accused of sexual improprieties by numerous more boys, and spent time in pedophile treatment centres. With many personal demons including alcoholism, he was allowed to enter the priesthood despite psychological assessments stating that he should not be allowed into the seminary. If he is doing good things within the prison, that is perhaps the only positive in this sordid tale.
Question: Will Pell be defrocked?
As a matter of principle; yes he ought to be for the sake of his primary and secondary victims. But even at this early stage of this modern scandal of clerical abuse; the Church`s strategy has always been the biological solution: wait for old wolves to die and raise generations of wild lambs who’ll eventually be re-domesticated by wolves they know.