March 17, 2016. Cardinal George Pell speaks with CNA at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on March 17, 2016. / null
Sydney, Australia, Mar 8, 2022 / 06:05 am (CNA).
People who took part in a “pile-on” against Cardinal George Pell are refusing to reconsider the case almost two years after the Australian Church leader’s acquittal, a speaker said on Tuesday.
He argued that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia’s national broadcaster, and many of the country’s newspapers had overlooked critical accounts of the Pell trial and its coverage by the media.
“In short, members of the Pell pile-on will not engage in any reconsideration of the Pell case. In my view, that’s intellectual cowardice. In certain circumstances, it’s censorship,” he said.
Australia’s High Court unanimously overturned Pell’s conviction for five counts of alleged sexual abuse on April 7, 2020. The cardinal was released after more than 13 months of imprisonment and returned to Rome, where he had served as the Vatican’s economy czar.
Monica Doumit, the director of public affairs and engagement of the Archdiocese of Sydney, recalled that she was working for the archdiocese’s communications team when allegations against the cardinal were aired on an Australian television program.
Doumit, a columnist with The Catholic Weekly, a national Catholic newspaper, said that after the broadcast, she spoke over the phone to the cardinal, who was in Rome. As she returned home in the early hours, she received a call from a colleague at Pell’s behest. The caller explained that the cardinal was “really worried” about Doumit and wanted someone to check that she was OK.
“That’s the measure of the man we’re speaking about tonight,” she said. “And the reason I want to tell it is because when I look back on this, that’s actually the most important aspect of this for me, that first and foremost we’re talking about a man who cares deeply about other people.”
Doumit said that, two years on, many questions about the case remain unanswered. But she expressed hope that an ongoing Vatican finance trial would reveal why the Vatican sent more than $2 million to Australia during the Pell trial.
She said that Cardinal Angelo Becciu, one of the defendants, was connected to the transfer of funds from the Vatican to the tech company Neustar in Melbourne.
“So far witnesses at the trial have insisted that the money was sent to the Catholic bishops in Australia for the cardinal’s defense, but it’s demonstrably untrue,” she said. “We know the money went to Neustar.”
She noted that in a recent interview Pell challenged Becciu, who rejects all allegations of wrongdoing, to explain why the funds were transferred.
“Becciu has said he will not answer because to do so would be beneath the dignity of cardinals,” she said.
Brennan, a human rights lawyer, said: “When we go with the mob with the highest level of judiciary, we forfeit the rule of law. That’s why the High Court majority, seven to nil, was so essential to restore the rule of law, for the good of bonafide complainants, for the good of victims, and for the good of citizens including those like Citizen Pell.”
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Pope Francis speaks to the crowd on June 12, 2022 gathered in St. Peter’s Square in Rome for the recitation of the Angelus on Trinity Sunday. / Vatican Media
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 12, 2022 / 07:47 am (CNA).
Speaking on Trinity Sunday, Pope Francis said that celebrating the Trinity is “not so much a theological exercise, but a revolution in our way of life.”
“God, in whom each person lives for the other in a continual relationship, in continual rapport, not for himself, provokes us to live with others and for others,” he said.
In his address prior to the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on Sunday’s Gospel reading, from the 16th chapter of John. In the reading, Jesus is speaking to the apostles about the coming of the Holy Spirit. “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth,” the Lord says.
Jesus tells the apostles, “Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”
“We notice that the Holy Spirit speaks, but not of himself: He announces Jesus and reveals the Father,” Pope Francis said to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square June 12.
“And we also notice that the Father, who possesses everything because he is the origin of all things, gives to the Son everything he possesses: He keeps nothing for himself and he gives himself fully to the Son,” he said.
Pope Francis added that “the Holy Spirit speaks not of himself; he speaks about Jesus, he speaks about others. And the Father does not give himself, he gives the Son. It is open generosity, one open to the other.”
The Holy Father then invited the crowd to do a self-examination.
“When we speak, we always want to say something good about ourselves, and often, we only speak about ourselves and what we do,” he said. “How often!”
Giving examples, Pope Francis said that people often say “I have done this and that” and “I had this problem.”
“We always speak like this,” he said.
He added, “How different this is from the Holy Spirit, who speaks by announcing others, and the Father the Son! And, how jealous we are of what we possess. How hard it is for us to share what we possess with others, even those who lack the basic necessities! It is easy to talk about it, but difficult to practice it.”
He encouraged the crowd to question whether “our life reflects the God we believe in.”
Leading the crowd in self-examination, the pope asked, “do I, who profess faith in God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, truly believe that I need others in order to live, I need to give myself to others, I need to serve others? Do I affirm this in words, or do I affirm it with my life?”
The one, triune God must be manifested in deeds, not words, he said.
“God, who is the author of life, is transmitted not so much through books as through witness of life,” Pope Francis said. “He, who, as the evangelist John writes, ‘is love’ (1 Jn 4:16), reveals himself through love.”
Pope Francis encouraged the crowd to think about “good, generous, gentle” people they have met and reflect on their way of thinking and their actions.
By doing this, “we can have a small reflection of God-Love,” he said. “And what does it mean to love? Not only to wish them well and to be good to them, but first and foremost, at the root, to welcome others, to be open to others, to make room for others, to make space (for) others. This is what it means to love, at the root.”
To better understand the Trinity, the Holy Father encouraged the crowd to consider each name of the three persons of the Trinity, “which we pronounce every time we make the sign of the cross: Each name contains the presence of the other.”
“The Father, for example, would not be such without the Son; likewise, the Son cannot be considered alone, but always as the Son of the Father. And the Holy Spirit, in turn, is the Spirit of the Father and the Son,” he said.
“In short,” Pope Francis added, “the Trinity teaches us that one can never be without the other. We are not islands, we are in the world to live in God’s image: open, in need of others, and in need of helping others.”
After praying the Angelus at noon, Pope Francis called for a round of applause for the recent beatification of Sister Paschalis Jahn and nine sister martyrs of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, who were killed at the end of World War II by Red Army soldiers.
Although the women knew the danger they were putting themselves in by attending to the sick and elderly, Pope Francis said, they did it anyway because of their Christian faith.
“May their example of faith to Christ help us all, especially Christians who are persecuted in various parts of the world, to bear witness to the Gospel courageously,” he said of the new blessed.
Pope Francis also spoke about the “great regret” he felt for having to postpone his scheduled trip in early July to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan due to issues he is having with his leg.
“I truly feel great sorrow for having had to postpone this trip, which means so much to me,” he said. “I apologize for this. Let us pray together that, with the help of God and medical attention, I will be able to be with you as soon as possible. Let us be hopeful!”
Speaking of World Day against Child Labor, Pope Francis called for all to work to “eliminate this scourge “so that no child is deprived of his or her fundamental rights and forced or coerced to work.”
The Holy Father also said that the Ukrainian people remain “vivid in my heart,” speaking of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“Let the passage of time not temper our grief and concern for that suffering population,” he said. “Please, let us not grow accustomed to this tragic situation! Let us always keep it in our hearts. Let us pray and strive for peace.”
Pope Francis interacted with an energetic crowd of 65,000 young adults and catechists at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 2, 2023. / Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Feb 2, 2023 / 05:45 am (CNA).
To bring about peace, “prayer is the most powerful weapon there is,” Pope Francis told thousands of young adults and catechism teachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday.
The meeting in Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC, took place on Feb. 2, the third day of the pope’s visit to the central African country. On Feb. 3, Francis will fly to Juba, South Sudan, for the second leg of his peace pilgrimage.
Pope Francis on Thursday interacted with an enthusiastic crowd of about 65,000 young people and adults, some of whom traveled days to be present for the papal visit.
Pope Francis interacted with an energetic crowd of 65,000 young adults and catechists at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 2, 2023. Vatican Media
“Yes, prayer conquers fear and enables us to take our future into our hands. Do you believe this?” the pope said. “Do you want to make prayer your secret, as refreshing water for the soul, as the one weapon you carry, as a traveling companion on each day’s journey?”
During the second half of his speech, the pope was repeatedly drowned out by the energetic audience, which broke out in cheering, singing, and dancing despite the hot weather.
Pope Francis interacted with an energetic crowd of 65,000 young adults and catechists at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 2, 2023. Vatican Media
In his talk, Francis used the imagery of the hand to speak about the future of the DRC.
“God has placed the gift of life, the future of society and the future of this great country in those hands of yours,” he said.
“Dear brother, dear sister, do your hands not seem small and frail, empty and unsuited to so great a task? It’s true,” he said. “Let me tell you something: your hands all look alike, they all look alike, but none of them is exactly the same. No one has hands just like yours, and that is a sign that you are a unique treasure, an unrepeatable and incomparable treasure.”
He invited those present in the stadium to open and close their hands while meditating on whether they wanted to choose peace or violence.
Pope Francis interacted with an energetic crowd of 65,000 young adults and catechists at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 2, 2023. Vatican Media
“Notice how you can squeeze your hand, closing it to make a fist. Or you can open it, to offer it to God and to others,” he said.
“You who dream of a different future: from your hands, tomorrow can be born, tomorrow can be born from your hands, from your hands peace so lacking in this country can at last come about.”
Bishop Donatien Bafuidinsoni Maloko-Mana from the Diocese of Inongo, in western DRC, was at the meeting.
He told EWTN News that people from his diocese traveled in boats on the Congo River for two to four days to arrive in Kinshasa.
Bafuidinsoni said the Congolese people were disappointed last year when the pope’s visit was canceled, but “now that the pope is here it’s a big joy for us all.”
Even those who are following the trip from home “are really happy,” he added. “It’s a message of joy, of peace, and of hope for all.”
Sister Asterie Neema, 29, is from Rutshuru in eastern DRC, where her brother was brutally killed last year. Elias Turk/CNA
Sister Asterie Neema, 29, is from Rutshuru in eastern Congo, where, she told EWTN News, they are under the control of an armed group called M23.
Neema said her older brother was killed in 2022 by unidentified rebels in front of his 12- and 7-year-old children.
In her 29 years of life, she said, her region of the DRC has never seen peace. Neema added that she has forgiven her brother’s killers, but she hopes for peace in her country.
Not everyone in the audience was Catholic. Two young Muslim men also attended the youth gathering with Pope Francis.
Yassine Mumbere, from Butembo in eastern DRC, told EWTN News that he came to the event because all young people were invited. He also studied at a Catholic school.
Muslim Yassine Mumbere, 35, from Butembo in eastern Congo, (R) with his friend (L) at the youth gathering with Pope Francis in Kinshasa, DRC on Feb. 2, 2023. Elias Turk/CNA
The 35-year-old Muslim Scout leader said he hopes the pope’s trip will help bring peace to the DRC’s eastern region.
In his speech, Pope Francis encouraged those present to be careful of the temptation to point fingers at people, or to exclude others because of “regionalism, tribalism, or anything that makes you feel secure in your own group, but at the same time is unconcerned with the life of the community.”
“You know what happens: first, you believe in prejudices about others, then you justify hatred, then violence, and in the end, you find yourself in the middle of a war,” he said.
To create a concrete sign of community, Francis invited the crowd to hold hands with those beside them and to sing a song together: “Imagine yourselves as one Church, a single people, holding hands.”
Pope Francis interacted with an energetic crowd of 65,000 young adults and catechists at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 2, 2023. Vatican Media
“Yes, brother and sister, you are indispensable and you are responsible for your Church and for your country,” he said after the song. “You are part of a greater history, one that calls you to take an active role as a builder of communion, a champion of fraternity, an indomitable dreamer of a more united world.”
After Pope Francis spoke against corruption — inviting everyone to shout together, “Go away, corruption!” — the stadium broke out in loud singing and cheering.
The event’s emcee had to invite the crowd to quiet down before the pope could continue speaking.
Francis also drew attention to two Congolese martyrs and their examples of faith: Blessed Isidore Bakanja and Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite.
Statues of Blessed Isidore Bakanja and Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite, young Congolese martyrs beatified by Pope John Paul II, in Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, DRC, on Feb. 2, 2023. Elias Turk/CNA
Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family, was killed during the civil war in 1964 at the age of 24. Anuarite was beatified by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the DRC, then known as the Republic of Zaire, in 1985.
Blessed Isidore Bakanja was a Catholic convert at the age of 18. He became a catechist and was devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He died in 1909, around the age of 21 or 22, after succumbing to an infection caused by a beating and other torture he received at the hands of a European manager for refusing to remove his brown scapular at work. Bakanja was beatified in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.
Statues of the two blesseds were present at the youth meeting, where people in the crowd shouted and held signs asking the pope to make them “santi subito!”
The pope pointed to another example of virtue from the DRC, Floribert Bwana Chui, who was killed in 2007 in Goma.
The 26-year-old man, who worked as a customs manager, was killed for refusing to cooperate with corruption; specifically, he did not allow the passage of expired food products.
A spectator at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, DRC, on Feb. 2, 2023, holds a sign with the phrase “santi subito” in reference to two Congolese blesseds. Elias Turk/CNA
“He could easily have turned a blind eye; nobody would have found out, and he might even have gotten ahead as a result,” Francis said. “But, since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption.”
“Now I want to tell you something important,” he added. “Listen closely: If someone offers you a bribe, or promises you favors and lots of money, do not fall into the trap. Do not be deceived; do not be sucked into the swamp of evil. Do not be overcome by evil!”
From the Netflix documentary series, "Vatican Girl: The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi" / Netflix
Rome Newsroom, Nov 10, 2023 / 13:30 pm (CNA).
The Italian Senate voted nearly unanimously on Thursday to launch a new parliamentary i… […]
12 Comments
If Pell was wrongly convicted, he stands in good company, for the Lord Jesus went through a mockery of a trial. He knows what he did or did not do, the matter being one of the eternal soul, with God as adjudicator.
Exodus 23:7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
Exodus 23:1- “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. …
1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
I always knew he was innocent.
An absolutely admirable man.
Truly courageous. Cardinal Pell makes me very proud of being Catholic.
God bless him and protect him always!
In the eyes of the Lunatic Left, Cardinal Pell will always be guilty, even if they are not sure what exactly he is guilty of.
This is what happens when you substitute truth a narrative, and become ideologically and emotionally wedded to that narrative that, at the point the narrative gets shattered by truth and reality, you suffer emotional trauma and psychological damage.
Cardinal Pell, like Kyle Rittenhouse, will never receive forgiveness for the crime of being innocent.
Buongiorno.. conosco abbastanza il Cardinale Pell. Nel 2014 quando e diventato prefetto della segreteria per l’economia, sono stato scelto per essere a suo servizio come usciere/autista e non solo. Ho avuto piena fiducia da parte di tutto lo staff del Cardinale. Fin da sempre ero sicuro della sua innocenza. Il Cardinale è una persona che ti fa lavorare bene e ti mette a proprio agio.ho lavorato con S.Eminenza fino al suo ritorno in Australia per difendersi dalle accuse infamanti . Ero e sono sicuro della sua innocenza.persona stimata è direttissima. Da quando è tornato a Roma, ho incontrato almeno 5/6 volte. La prima volta era molto provato, ora si è ripreso benissimo. Mi dispiace tantissimo che il Papa non gli abbia dato un incarico.
Why assume the easily influenced High Court is more credible than a jury trial and Court of Appeals ? And, even if the charges against Pell for alleged PERSONAL acts of abuse were false, why should he be absolved of all responsibility for predators like Risdale, whom he defended and protected ?
Have you actually read the decision of the High Court? And the dissent to the decision of the Court of Appeals by the one judge on it who had experience in criminal law?
Cardinal Pell was tried for alleged personal acts of abuse. Ridsdale had nothing to do with the matter.
The Cardinal did not “defend and protect” Ridsdale.
Brian Young what happened to Cardinal Pell was a horrific hit job to ruin and destroy his reputation which is totally beyond repute. The good and holy Cardinal would have been a terrific papal candidate in the next conclave making him the first Pope from an English speaking country. The very same thing is now happening to Pope Benedict XVI. He too is a good and Holy man of God. Evil will not triumph! God is totally in charge and will ensure that next Holy Father will be the right man at the right time in Catholic Church and world history. Our Lady of Fatima pray for and protect Cardinal Pell and Pope Benedict XVI. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Unfortunately, some Conservative commentators such as Joseph Sciambra are filled with hatred for Cardinal Pell and sees the Church defending him as gas-lighting. Sadly, Joseph has now left the Catholic Church for the Russian Orthodox and his Facebook timeline is mostly him bashing the Catholic Church. So keep him in your prayers!
Essentially we all have 3 things at our disposal, Truth, Reason and for those who choose, Faith. Issues relating to Cardinal Pell go well beyond the series of court hearings and final verdict this article refers to. As many readers here will be aware, I am one who often posted in terms considered hostile to Cardinal Pell. I would like to emphasise that my hostility was directed to a deliberate and sustained misrepresentation of the wider circumstances pertaining to Cardinal Pell that was evident in the writing on the subject, by George Weigle. His articles included vitriolic misrepresentations and condemnation of elements within Australian society and within the Catholic Church community who had years of involvement advocating for those wounded by the scourge of Clergy abuse. Mr Weigles writing to say the least, lacked nuance.
One can not separate the sordid mechanisms of political manoeuvring from these discussions relating to Cardinal Pell. Gerard Henderson, referred to in this article is a prominent player in the arena of Australian politics as Mr Weigel is in the US political power play being a signatory of the Statement of Principals by The Project For The New American Century making him a key player in the Neo Conservative political movement.
I stridently reject any accusation, implied by this article, upon my stated opinions in the many comments I have made on this site that I was involved in a pile on that also implied intellectual cowardice.
I will go further to say it is evident to me that many ( and I will emphasise not all ) advocating for Cardinal Pell are guilty of intellectual dishonesty and deliberate selective misrepresentation that has had a direct impact on those in the church community of the state of Victoria in Australia. Your carelessness is more than evident for those who have lived close to the truth that they have been a witness of.
To the CNA staff I say look at your headline to this article:
“ People who joined Cardinal Pell ‘ pile-on’ guilty of ‘intellectual cowardice’ says speaker, the speaker being Mr Gerard Henderson.
This statement endorsed by this website is an implied condemnation of Chrissie Foster, and all the other advocates, many of who I know personally who worked for and on behalf of the children abused by the clergy of Victoria, again I say because the subject matter goes beyond the specific legal case.
I ask any one who cares to search and read my many contributions to discussions pertaining to Cardinal Pell in articles mainly written by George Weigell. Read them in context of linear dialogue as I stand by every word I have written.
I have to the best of my ability been governed by truth, reason and faith.
I am an ex prison officer and I am totally disgusted in how Mr Pell was treated by the Victorian legal system. I am very sure that his physical treatment by both Police and most Prison guards would have been awerful.I hope that God will bless him in every way and forgive those who were such bastards towards him.
If Pell was wrongly convicted, he stands in good company, for the Lord Jesus went through a mockery of a trial. He knows what he did or did not do, the matter being one of the eternal soul, with God as adjudicator.
Exodus 23:7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
Exodus 23:1- “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. …
1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
“When we go with the mob . . .”
That about sums up the media these days. Not just in Australia.
I always knew he was innocent.
An absolutely admirable man.
Truly courageous. Cardinal Pell makes me very proud of being Catholic.
God bless him and protect him always!
In the eyes of the Lunatic Left, Cardinal Pell will always be guilty, even if they are not sure what exactly he is guilty of.
This is what happens when you substitute truth a narrative, and become ideologically and emotionally wedded to that narrative that, at the point the narrative gets shattered by truth and reality, you suffer emotional trauma and psychological damage.
Cardinal Pell, like Kyle Rittenhouse, will never receive forgiveness for the crime of being innocent.
Buongiorno.. conosco abbastanza il Cardinale Pell. Nel 2014 quando e diventato prefetto della segreteria per l’economia, sono stato scelto per essere a suo servizio come usciere/autista e non solo. Ho avuto piena fiducia da parte di tutto lo staff del Cardinale. Fin da sempre ero sicuro della sua innocenza. Il Cardinale è una persona che ti fa lavorare bene e ti mette a proprio agio.ho lavorato con S.Eminenza fino al suo ritorno in Australia per difendersi dalle accuse infamanti . Ero e sono sicuro della sua innocenza.persona stimata è direttissima. Da quando è tornato a Roma, ho incontrato almeno 5/6 volte. La prima volta era molto provato, ora si è ripreso benissimo. Mi dispiace tantissimo che il Papa non gli abbia dato un incarico.
Why assume the easily influenced High Court is more credible than a jury trial and Court of Appeals ? And, even if the charges against Pell for alleged PERSONAL acts of abuse were false, why should he be absolved of all responsibility for predators like Risdale, whom he defended and protected ?
Have you actually read the decision of the High Court? And the dissent to the decision of the Court of Appeals by the one judge on it who had experience in criminal law?
Cardinal Pell was tried for alleged personal acts of abuse. Ridsdale had nothing to do with the matter.
The Cardinal did not “defend and protect” Ridsdale.
Brian Young what happened to Cardinal Pell was a horrific hit job to ruin and destroy his reputation which is totally beyond repute. The good and holy Cardinal would have been a terrific papal candidate in the next conclave making him the first Pope from an English speaking country. The very same thing is now happening to Pope Benedict XVI. He too is a good and Holy man of God. Evil will not triumph! God is totally in charge and will ensure that next Holy Father will be the right man at the right time in Catholic Church and world history. Our Lady of Fatima pray for and protect Cardinal Pell and Pope Benedict XVI. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Unfortunately, some Conservative commentators such as Joseph Sciambra are filled with hatred for Cardinal Pell and sees the Church defending him as gas-lighting. Sadly, Joseph has now left the Catholic Church for the Russian Orthodox and his Facebook timeline is mostly him bashing the Catholic Church. So keep him in your prayers!
Essentially we all have 3 things at our disposal, Truth, Reason and for those who choose, Faith. Issues relating to Cardinal Pell go well beyond the series of court hearings and final verdict this article refers to. As many readers here will be aware, I am one who often posted in terms considered hostile to Cardinal Pell. I would like to emphasise that my hostility was directed to a deliberate and sustained misrepresentation of the wider circumstances pertaining to Cardinal Pell that was evident in the writing on the subject, by George Weigle. His articles included vitriolic misrepresentations and condemnation of elements within Australian society and within the Catholic Church community who had years of involvement advocating for those wounded by the scourge of Clergy abuse. Mr Weigles writing to say the least, lacked nuance.
One can not separate the sordid mechanisms of political manoeuvring from these discussions relating to Cardinal Pell. Gerard Henderson, referred to in this article is a prominent player in the arena of Australian politics as Mr Weigel is in the US political power play being a signatory of the Statement of Principals by The Project For The New American Century making him a key player in the Neo Conservative political movement.
I stridently reject any accusation, implied by this article, upon my stated opinions in the many comments I have made on this site that I was involved in a pile on that also implied intellectual cowardice.
I will go further to say it is evident to me that many ( and I will emphasise not all ) advocating for Cardinal Pell are guilty of intellectual dishonesty and deliberate selective misrepresentation that has had a direct impact on those in the church community of the state of Victoria in Australia. Your carelessness is more than evident for those who have lived close to the truth that they have been a witness of.
To the CNA staff I say look at your headline to this article:
“ People who joined Cardinal Pell ‘ pile-on’ guilty of ‘intellectual cowardice’ says speaker, the speaker being Mr Gerard Henderson.
This statement endorsed by this website is an implied condemnation of Chrissie Foster, and all the other advocates, many of who I know personally who worked for and on behalf of the children abused by the clergy of Victoria, again I say because the subject matter goes beyond the specific legal case.
I ask any one who cares to search and read my many contributions to discussions pertaining to Cardinal Pell in articles mainly written by George Weigell. Read them in context of linear dialogue as I stand by every word I have written.
I have to the best of my ability been governed by truth, reason and faith.
Christopher, you say “again I say because the subject matter goes beyond the specific legal case.
Yes! Absolutely!
kevin your brother
In Christ
I am an ex prison officer and I am totally disgusted in how Mr Pell was treated by the Victorian legal system. I am very sure that his physical treatment by both Police and most Prison guards would have been awerful.I hope that God will bless him in every way and forgive those who were such bastards towards him.