On the eve of the already controversial World Youth Day commemoration in mid-July, Catholic Cardinal George Pell has been in the news over the revival of old allegations about an historical incident of same-sex sexual violence against one of his former priests, while Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne in the early eighties.

Pell does have a masters degree in education from Monash University, but his other qualifications seem to be in theology and church history. During his career, he has served as auxiliary bishop, bishop and then archbishop of the Catholic Archdioceses of Melbourne and Sydney. As well as that, he’s held prominent positions on papal committees to do with worship, family policy, social justice and enforcement of church orthodoxy. As Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, he has raised eyebrows over his cordial relationship with the fundamentalist “Anglican” “Archbishop” of Sydney, Peter Jensen.

Why? Well, although Pell is a critic of Pentecostal get-rich-quick ‘prosperity theology’, and toes the party line on opposing stem cell research, he has also attracted fierce criticism for his climate change denialist stance and his inflammatory remarks about Islamism in Pakistan and elsewhere. In addition, his own out lesbian cousin, Monica Higston, has criticised him, as have Catholic lesbian and gay “Rainbow Sash” activists in Melbourne and Sydney to whom he has denied Catholic communion.

 Pell has also attracted controversy over his stance toward questions of clergy paedophilia and sexual violence, especially after he accompanied one such offender, Father Gerald Richdale of Ballarat, to court in the early nineties while his trial occurred. However, it should also be noted that as Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, he appointed a senior barrister as officiating individual on an archepiscopal committee to investigate paedophilia and sexual violence within his diocese, as well as a counselling service and compensation fund.

On July 8th, though, ABC’s Lateline current affairs programme aired a documentary item about the plight of Anthony Jones (54), who has stated that he was sexually assaulted as a twenty nine year old by Father Terrence Goodall in 1982. Pell wrote to Mr Jones stating that the claims against Goodall had not been substantiated, omitting any mention of another ongoing accusation against Goodall. Pell stood Goodall down, although on a charge of ‘consensual’ adult male homosexuality, still a criminal offense in Sydney in 1982.

Mr Jones argues that the offence was non consensual, although non-penetrative, and has experienced two nervous breakdowns because of his earlier traumatic experience at the hands of Goodall. Since 2000, he’s also been on a Disability Support Pension (Australia’s version of our own Invalids Benefit). As for Goodall, unchecked, he went on to abuse a sixteen year old girl, as well as the other complainant referred to above, and also repeatedly asked altar boys to swim naked in his pool. Pell now acknowledges that his response was badly worded, but has refused to resign for his mishandling of the abuse allegations while he was Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne. 

Mr Jones has pointed out that this comes at a time when Pope Benedict XVI has often publically apologised for the ravages that clergy paedophilia and sexual violence has made within the institutional church- at the same time as the ranking senior Catholic Australian cleric is accused of this. As for Mr Jones, he called off an earlier civil action to avoid mounting counter-costs from Pell and Goodall.

One wishes Mr Jones well in pursuit of his allegations. As for his attackers, as well as the hierarchy, which part of ‘no’ doesn’t the Catholic hierarchy not comprehend in this context?

Recommended:

Vincent Morello: “Abuse Victim: Pope Apology Pointless” Daily Telegraph: 08.07.08: http://www.news.com.au

“Pell denies priest abuse cover up” Daily Telegraph: 08.07.08: http://www.news.com.au

Joel Gibson, Erik Jensen and Arjun Ramachandran: “Pell denies covering up sex abuse by priest” Sydney Morning Herald: 09.07.08: http://www.smh.com.au