Cardinal George Pell to be summoned to face charges of child sex abuse

[prodromos]

Cardinal George Pell ‘to face charges’

CARDINAL George Pell will face serious child sex charges later today.

The Australian is reporting a summons has been issued. It relates to the child sex investigation by Victoria Police, Taskforce Sano.

Cardinal Pell, 76, is Australia’s most senior Catholic but is based in the Vatican, where he is serving as prefect of the secretariat of the economy to the Vatican.
Australia has no extradition treaty with the Vatican — meaning he could avoid prosecution if he choose not to return to Victoria. However, he is expected to return to Australia to fight the charges.

Victoria Police refused to comment on the reports, but are expected to confirm details of the charges later today.

Cardinal Pell has been in his Vatican role for four years. He was created a cardinal in 2003 and has previously served as Archbishop of Sydney and Archbishop of Melbourne.

News Corp reported last month Victoria Police had received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions about the allegations against Rome-based Cardinal Pell.

The advice from the DPP was understood that charges could be laid against the cardinal, based on the brief of evidence investigators have gathered

A police spokeswoman confirmed to news.com.au the long-awaited DPP advice was now with officers.

“Victoria Police can confirm that it has received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to a current investigation into historical sexual assault allegations,” the spokeswoman said.

“Detectives from Taskforce Sano will now take time to consider that advice.”

The Sano Taskforce has been investigating allegations that Cardinal Pell committed “multiple offences” when he was a priest in Ballarat and while he was archbishop of Melbourne.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

I have no sympathy for him. These Cardinals, Bishops and Priest who preyed on Gods children are nothing but slobs who deserve to do hard time.

The only Priest I know who really faced justice was Father Geoghan from Massachusetts. A fellow prisoner jammed his cell and strangled him to death. The guards took their time in responding.

I don't agree with his murder but he did face a harsh justice that so many others evaded.

 

[Occams Barber]

Cardinal George Pell ‘to face charges’

CARDINAL George Pell will face serious child sex charges later today.

The Australian is reporting a summons has been issued. It relates to the child sex investigation by Victoria Police, Taskforce Sano.

Cardinal Pell, 76, is Australia’s most senior Catholic but is based in the Vatican, where he is serving as prefect of the secretariat of the economy to the Vatican.
Australia has no extradition treaty with the Vatican — meaning he could avoid prosecution if he choose not to return to Victoria. However, he is expected to return to Australia to fight the charges.

Victoria Police refused to comment on the reports, but are expected to confirm details of the charges later today.

Cardinal Pell has been in his Vatican role for four years. He was created a cardinal in 2003 and has previously served as Archbishop of Sydney and Archbishop of Melbourne.

News Corp reported last month Victoria Police had received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions about the allegations against Rome-based Cardinal Pell.

The advice from the DPP was understood that charges could be laid against the cardinal, based on the brief of evidence investigators have gathered

A police spokeswoman confirmed to news.com.au the long-awaited DPP advice was now with officers.

“Victoria Police can confirm that it has received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to a current investigation into historical sexual assault allegations,” the spokeswoman said.

“Detectives from Taskforce Sano will now take time to consider that advice.”

The Sano Taskforce has been investigating allegations that Cardinal Pell committed “multiple offences” when he was a priest in Ballarat and while he was archbishop of Melbourne.

While I have little sympathy for Pell there is a legitimate concern that it may be difficult to give him a fair trial in the aftermath of the Royal Commission on Child Abuse. To say Pell is not well liked is a major understatement.

If he is tried and found guilty Pell, will also be guilty of overwhelming arrogance and hypocrisy given his involvement in "developing" the Church's response to child abuse.
OB

 

[Halbhh]

If he is now a true follower of Christ and ends up in prison, then prison is a great place for him to spread the Good News and help the lost find the One Who saves!

 

[AvilaSurfer]

I'm Catholic. I love Catholicism. I have the utmost respect for clergy. Their job is incredibly tough, and usually thankless. That said, if he's guilty, he should be punished. Harshly. The Bible says something about those leading the little ones astray.....better to not be born or something like that.

 

[Michie]

I'm not surprised.

 

[prodromos]

I only became aware of the direct allegations recently, but I've long felt he should have been held more accountable for his involvement in moving known offenders from parish to parish.

 

[Open Heart]

I'm still waiting for justice. Waiting and knitting. Waiting and knitting.

 

[Bob Crowley]

Personally I think there's a strong homosexual lobby behind the Pell accusations. I may be wrong, but if he's innocent, then he should be found innocent, and if that's the case, those making false accusations should be charged.

But all we can do now is leave it to the courts. He's indicated he's waiting for his chance in court to get it over and done with, since there's been a lot of character assassination in his case.

It's one thing to accept there's been a lot of child abuse by some figures in the church, and insufficient action to stop it by others. It's another to assume that a man is guilty by innuendo.

I'll wait till the courts decide.

 

[Halbhh]

Personally I think there's a strong homosexual lobby behind the Pell accusations. I may be wrong, but if he's innocent, then he should be found innocent, and if that's the case, those making false accusations should be charged.

But all we can do now is leave it to the courts. He's indicated he's waiting for his chance in court to get it over and done with, since there's been a lot of character assassination in his case.

It's one thing to accept there's been a lot of child abuse by some figures in the church, and insufficient action to stop it by others. It's another to assume that a man is guilty by innuendo.

I'll wait till the courts decide.

We can feel ok about even such possibilities. Most everyone gets falsely accused at times, even when they do not know it, and of course this one is a very big accusation, but for a real believer in Christ, this isn't actually even a problem, if we confess/repent of our actual sins, and trust in Him, and work to do His commandments.

Nothing that is hidden will stay hidden -- all will be revealed on that Day!

Every knee will bow. Heaven awaits!

 

[Basil the Great]

Let us all earnestly hope that the charges are false, regardless of our religious affiliation. Personally, I have held the view for a long time that sexual abuse charges do not just harm the branch of Christianity to which the accused belongs, but said charges harm the entire Christian family!

 

[Basil the Great]

I remind all of you about the case of Cardinal Bernardin. His accuser was a mixed up guy who later recanted. However, if there are multiple accusers here, then it would appear that the only logical way for Cardinal Pell to be innocent is if there is a conspiracy against him and such is possible.

 

[Michie]

Defiant and determined, Pell says he now has chance to clear his name

 

[Michie]

Abuse charges against Pell not good news for Vatican financial reform

 

[Michie]

Friends and foes of Cardinal Pell weigh in on charges of abuse

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

God bless the Cardinal, this is nothing but a witchhunt.

Holy Mary protect your servant Cardinal Pell and save him from the wickedness of Lucifer and his angels.
Amen.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I'm not surprised.

Nor am I. Having witnessed the very public lynching of archbishop Neinstedt in Minnesota it was expected that cardinal Pell would get the same treatment. I expect it of others who dare to defy the LGBT juggernaut.

In the Neinstedt case everything was left up in the air. No charges were filed against him for his personal actions, although a dark cloud is still covering him. There were allegations that never were resolved. No way to know now if they had merit or not.

Neinstedt angered the juggernaut by opposing homosexual marriage. For that he had to be taken down. And he was. To this day I don't know if he was an abuser who pretended to oppose the homosexual agenda or simply a righteous dude that [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]ed the LGBTXYZ juggernaut into destroying him. Looks like we will never know.

Cardinal Pell at least has a chance for truth to win out, whatever truth that might be. I hope this is fairly quick and doesn't drag on for months and years, or end up with a muddy ambiguous outcome.

 

[Gnarwhal]

This will most likely be an unpopular question, but I have to ask:

At what point do we become concerned that this is the new strategy of the secular forces who oppose the morality of the Church? Or has that time already come and gone? Pro-choice groups, LGBT advocacy groups, etc. At any time all any of them have to do is level an accusation against a priest or a prelate who is in their way and their immoral cause gains more ground.

Before anyone gets upset thinking that I'm marginalizing the suffering of abuse victims, let me be clear: I think sexual abuse is one of the most heinous crimes and those who are guilty of perpetrating them deserve the stiffest penalties.

But I think the increasingly sharp moral decline western society is taking necessitates the question.

 

[chevyontheriver]

At what point do we become concerned that this is the new strategy of the secular forces who oppose the morality of the Church? Or has that time already come and gone? Pro-choice groups, LGBT advocacy groups, etc. At any time all any of them have to do is level an accusation against a priest or a prelate who is in their way and their immoral cause gains more ground.

A bit of history. It was an old communist tactic. Worked pretty well too. So much so that pope John Paul was skeptical when accusations of such stuff were leveled against priests. He was a bit too skeptical. But at least he had a reason to be, that in his own experience people would actually lie about priests to destroy them. John Paul was not about cover-up, but this skepticism was perhaps his greatest flaw in that he should have been more aggressive about it. It took pope Benedict to raise the heat and Francis to more or less continue what Benedict started. Benedict deserves high praise for treating this problem with all the seriousness it deserves.

I think the outing of archbishop Neinstedt may well have been just such a strategy. It is so clouded that I can't tell whether it was all lies or some facts. I do know that he angered the juggernaut and they were indeed out to get him. Did they use facts or fiction? I donno. But they did take him down and celebrated their success afterwards.

Before anyone gets upset thinking that I'm marginalizing the suffering of abuse victims, let me be clear: I think sexual abuse is one of the most heinous crimes and those who are guilty of perpetrating them deserve the stiffest penalties.

Agreed in toto.

Pray for priests. In these days they have to live lives beyond all reproach. They always should have, but today if they don't, it will be used against them if they dare offend the powerful.

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

I share pope Francis conviction that the Cardinal is innocent.

I beg Mary to help him out in this satanic attack by enemies of her son and his church.