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December 13th, 2015 
Awake Goy 
Cardinal George Pell appearing before the Parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse in Victoria. Picture: Mike Keating
Picture: Mike Keating
CARDINAL George Pell has confessed false documents were created and priests took part in “reprehensible” cover-ups of child sexual abuse.
The most prominent Catholic in Australia was grilled by a Victorian parliamentary committee for 4 1/2 hours about systemic failings by the church to deal with abuse.
Cardinal Pell said the fear of scandals drove much of the reaction to rampant abuse in the 1970s and ’80s, but that a concern about money was also involved.
“I am fully apologetic and absolutely sorry,” he said.
“I would agree that we’ve been slow to address the anguish of the victims and dealt with it very imperfectly,” the cardinal said.
In a victory for victims, Cardinal Pell said he would ask the Vatican to send all documents it holds on Victorian sex abuse accusations to the inquiry – a promise he had also made to the federal royal commission into abuse.
Cardinal Pell defended the church’s compensation scheme, saying it abided by the “law of the land”.
But he opened the door to greater compensation for some victims saying a $27,000 payment to a man raped 10 times was “miserable”.
Abuse victims at the hearing said they were unconvinced by the cardinal’s apology. Some walked out soon after he began speaking.
Anthony Foster, whose daughters, Emma and Katie, were abused by Melbourne priest Kevin O’Donnell in Oakleigh in the 1980s, said he wasn’t satisfied.
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“It’s another apology. It’s the same words again. It’s just not backed up with the actions that we need.
“What we need is real care for victims,” he said.
Mr Foster also hit out at Cardinal Pell’s repeatedly saying he was not responsible for changing the church structure and was not the “Catholic prime minister of Australia”.
National MP David O’Brien said letters showed that one abusing priest should “submit a resignation as parish priest on health grounds”, and asked if that was further evidence of church cover-ups. “Yes, it is,” Cardinal Pell said.
Care Leavers Australia Network protest out the front of Parliament House ahead of Cardinal Pell’s appearance at the abuse inquiry. Picture: Mike Keating
Asked if it was totally un-Christlike, the cardinal replied: “I would have to agree with you.”
“He (former Archbishop Little) got the bloke out but the way he did it was reprehensible,” he said.
Cardinal Pell insisted that the Melbourne Response he initiated in the 1990shad helped address problems.
After 242 cases of abuse were uncovered in the 1970s, Cardinal Pell said there were 82 in the 1980s and then up to 24 in the 1990s.
By the 2000s he said there were only a handful.
“The Catholic environment at the moment is very safe, that is what the evidence suggests to me.”
There is a cap of $75,000 on payments at the moment, compared to payouts of about $1 million on average in the US, the inquiry heard.
MPs probed Cardinal Pell’s decision to appear at court with infamous paedophile Gerald Ridsdale – with whom he had lived briefly.
“At that stage nobody knew – well, I certainly didn’t – what proved to be the full extent of his infamous career,” Cardinal Pell told the inquiry.
“I did know that there was a very significant number of charges but I had no idea about all the other things that would unfold,” Cardinal Pell said.
‘I would agree that we’ve been slow to address the anguish of the victims and dealt with it very imperfectly,” the cardinal said.
In a victory for victims, Cardinal Pell said he would ask the Vatican to send all documents it holds on Victorian sex abuse accusations to the inquiry – a promise he had also made to the federal royal commission into abuse.
Cardinal Pell defended the church’s compensation scheme, saying it abided by the “law of the land”.
But he opened the door to greater compensation for some victims saying a $27,000 payment to a man raped 10 times was “miserable”.
Abuse victims at the hearing said they were unconvinced by the cardinal’s apology. Some walked out soon after he began speaking.
Anthony Foster, whose daughters, Emma and Katie, were abused by Melbourne priest Kevin O’Donnell in Oakleigh in the 1980s, said he wasn’t satisfied.
“It’s another apology. It’s the same words again. It’s just not backed up with the actions that we need.
Cardinal George Pell appearing before the Parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse in Victoria. Picture: Mike Keating
“What we need is real care for victims,” he said.
Mr Foster also hit out at Cardinal Pell’s repeatedly saying he was not responsible for changing the church structure and was not the “Catholic prime minister of Australia”.
National MP David O’Brien said letters showed that one abusing priest should “submit a resignation as parish priest on health grounds”, and asked if that was further evidence of church cover-ups. “Yes, it is,” Cardinal Pell said.
Asked if it was totally un-Christlike, the cardinal replied: “I would have to agree with you.”
“He (former Archbishop Little) got the bloke out but the way he did it was reprehensible,” he said.
Cardinal Pell insisted that the Melbourne Response he initiated in the 1990shad helped address problems.
After 242 cases of abuse were uncovered in the 1970s, Cardinal Pell said there were 82 in the 1980s and then up to 24 in the 1990s.
By the 2000s he said there were only a handful.
“The Catholic environment at the moment is very safe, that is what the evidence suggests to me.”
There is a cap of $75,000 on payments at the moment, compared to payouts of about $1 million on average in the US, the inquiry heard.
MPs probed Cardinal Pell’s decision to appear at court with infamous paedophile Gerald Ridsdale – with whom he had lived briefly.
Ridsdale could be free in months
“At that stage nobody knew – well, I certainly didn’t – what proved to be the full extent of his infamous career,” Cardinal Pell told the inquiry.
“I did know that there was a very significant number of charges but I had no idea about all the other things that would unfold,” Cardinal Pell said.
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