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From candid messages about being ‘provoked’ to praising his ‘bravery’: High-profile figures react to the death of George Pell, one of Australia’s most divisive figures
High-profile Australians have had mixed reactions to the death of controversial Cardinal George Pell, who was at the center of child sexual abuse allegations for two decades, and it’s not all tributes and tears.
Cardinal Pell, 81, underwent successful surgery at a Vatican hospital and was chatting with the anesthetist when he went into sudden cardiac arrest. The doctors were unable to revive him.
He was ordained a priest in 1966 and became a bishop in 1987, and was made Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996 and Archbishop of Sydney in 2001 before being made a cardinal in 2003.
However, his long career was marred in 2018 when a jury convicted him of historical incidents of child sex, which he strenuously denied. Pell spent 404 days behind bars.
His conviction was overturned on appeal to the High Court in 2020.
But despite the legal ruling, many prominent Australians still believed the allegations against him.
Cardinal Pell (pictured), 81, underwent successful surgery at a Vatican hospital and was chatting with the anesthetist when he went into sudden cardiac arrest.
Australians flooded social media following the shock announcement of his death on Tuesday morning; some remembered him as a “man of great integrity” while others paid tribute to child survivors of sexual assault.
Award-winning journalist Suzie Smith, who wrote The Altar Boys, a book about allegations of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, tweeted: “Thinking of the victims and their families who have been treated so terribly by this man and his lieutenants for many decades. “. ‘
ABC journalist Louise Miligan, who wrote ‘Cardinal – The Rise and Fall of George Pell’, wrote on Twitter: ‘George Pell is dead. This is going to be a very triggering day for a lot of people. Thinking of them.
Sexual assault survivor advocate Nina Funnell said: ‘George Pell is dead. Today I remember every victim and survivor of child sexual abuse who was harmed by him and every pedophile he covered up for.
‘Today I remember all those victims who are no longer with us. And I am with all the survivors who still are.
Others speculated on what his ‘trip to hell’ would be like.
But others took a somber approach, choosing to remember Cardinal Pell for his long career and contributions to public life.
Former treasurer Joe Hockey said: ‘I am immensely saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Cardinal George Pell. He was a man of deep faith and great integrity. He was blessed with strength, courage, determination, and intellect. He was proudly Australian.
Father Edward Moloney, administrator of Ballarat’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where Cardinal Pell served as a priest, said the parish will commend his soul to God and his merciful judgment.
“We pray in thanksgiving for all the good he did,” Father Moloney told AAP.
“As with all of our dying people, we remember the words of Scripture: It is a holy and healthy thought to pray for the dead.”
It would be a very difficult day for Cardinal Pell’s family and loved ones, Victorian government minister Steve Dimopoulos said.
“But it’s also a very difficult day for survivors and victims of child sexual abuse and their families, and my thoughts are with them,” Dimopoulos told reporters on Wednesday.
News of the cardinal’s death is slowly filtering internationally, with the director of the Diocese of Texas San Angelo sending his prayers.
“Had the honor of hearing (Cardinal Pell) speak at the Sacred Liturgy Conference this summer,” Father Ryan Rojo tweeted Wednesday morning.
“A true inspiration without a hint of bitterness, even though it has every reason to lean toward anger.”