# Oh poor George (Cardinal Pell)...might have been easier to come home!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 17, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315 "2016-02-17T03:42:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/61 "2016-03-01T10:37:50Z")
> [@Bricker](#):
>
> đ
>
> Correct. Thatâs a no.
It is not customary to answer a rhetorical question. Or didnât you know that?
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### Author:  [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/62 "2016-03-01T18:01:10Z")
I wonder if John Cleese and Michael Palin might be doing a little schadenfreude dance about now?
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/63 "2016-03-01T18:13:36Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#):
>
> It is not customary to answer a rhetorical question. Or didnât you know that?
Sure. But I chose to flout that custom.
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### Author:  [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/64 "2016-03-01T19:06:34Z")
Hereâs the latest on Pell and itâs written by a conservative Australian writer who has been up to now defending Pell. He flew to Rome to witness the testimony and what he saw was extremely unconvincing.
[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt/cardinal-george-pell-went-by-the-book-and-not-the-heart/news-story/d991048345a7b669ce9fd078a31e5f68](http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt/cardinal-george-pell-went-by-the-book-and-not-the-heart/news-story/d991048345a7b669ce9fd078a31e5f68)
Pellâs quote about convicted Pedophile Priest Gerald Ridsdale âit wasnât of much interest to meâ. So at the very least he was utterly indifferent to fellow priests raping children, even though he was on committees that were involved in moving Ridsdale from parish to parish multiple times to cover up his crimes.
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/65 "2016-03-01T20:41:50Z")
> [@coremelt](#):
>
> Hereâs the latest on Pell and itâs written by a conservative Australian writer who has been up to now defending Pell. He flew to Rome to witness the testimony and what he saw was extremely unconvincing.
>
> [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt/cardinal-george-pell-went-by-the-book-and-not-the-heart/news-story/d991048345a7b669ce9fd078a31e5f68](http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt/cardinal-george-pell-went-by-the-book-and-not-the-heart/news-story/d991048345a7b669ce9fd078a31e5f68)
>
> Pellâs quote about convicted Pedophile Priest Gerald Ridsdale âit wasnât of much interest to meâ. So at the very least he was utterly indifferent to fellow priests raping children, even though he was on committees that were involved in moving Ridsdale from parish to parish multiple times to cover up his crimes.
Undoubtedly this latest link completely proves your case.
Sadly,I cannot read the content without paying a subscription.
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### Author:  [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/66 "2016-03-01T20:57:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#):
>
> Undoubtedly this latest link completely proves your case.
>
> Sadly,I cannot read the content without paying a subscription.
If you google the title of the article and follow the link to it from the search results, the paywall wonât block you.
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### Author:  [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/67 "2016-03-01T21:02:27Z")
Odd, there is links to that article from Facebook and google which work fine but theyâre playing silly buggers with the link.
More coverage:
> **[George Pell wasn't much interested in stories of abuse by priests. Which was...](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/01/george-pell-wasnt-much-interested-in-stories-of-abuse-by-priests-which-was-lucky-for-his-career)**
>
> Had Pell made a big fuss about the abuse going on all around him as a young priest, he would not be at the Vatican. But as he told the royal commission, he stayed clear of such âsad storiesâ
> **["It's a sad story and it wasn't of much interest to me": Pell - InDaily](https://indaily.com.au/news/2016/03/01/its-a-sad-story-and-it-wasnt-of-much-interest-to-me-pell/)**
>
> Cardinal George Pell says he had "no interest" in Gerald Francis Ridsdale's offending in the mid-1970s and was not told the priest was being moved because he was a pedophile.
> **[The man who could haunt Cardinal George Pell](https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/royal-commission-expected-to-recall-bishop-mulkearns-as-cardinal-pell-beings-day-three-of-testimony-in-rome/news-story/a230f195dea5fa730ce1776f72b2340f)**
>
> CARDINAL Pell was accused of âdesigningâ his evidence to deflect blame during the third day of testimony in which the âextraordinary world of crimes and cover upsâ within the Catholic Church were exposed.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/68 "2016-03-01T23:36:26Z")
Iâm watching the 3rd day of the Royal Commission hearings as I write, and itâs not looking good for you George.
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/69 "2016-03-01T23:46:03Z")
Itâs fascinating - according to poor old George he was lied to by everyone who knew what was going on, both in the church (by a Bishop and Arch Bishop no less! and now the Catholic Education Office) and all the details were kept from him, even at the meetings held to discuss the issue that he attended.
Heâs a Saint I tell you, a Saint!!! /sarcasm
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/70 "2016-03-01T23:51:52Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#):
>
> Itâs fascinating - according to poor old George he was lied to by everyone who knew what was going on, both in the church (by a Bishop and Arch Bishop no less! and now the Catholic Education Office) and all the details were kept from him, even at the meetings held to discuss the issue that he attended.
>
> Heâs a Saint I tell you, a Saint!!! /sarcasm
đ
And now Gail Furness SC has essentially called him a liar. Well, she used different words, saying his evidence is highly implausible, but that sorta means liar in my book.
Fascinating stuff indeed.
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/71 "2016-03-01T23:58:56Z")
This is off the Guardian feed:
> [@](#):
>
> Furness says to Pell: âCardinal, I have to suggest to you that your evidence in relation to not being briefed properly or adequately by the Catholic Education Office [about Searson abusing children], and the reasons for that, are completely implausible.â
>
> Pell replies; âUm, counsel, I can only tell you the truth, the whole story of Searson is quite implausible and the cover-up is equally implausible. I can only tell you the way it was as far as Iâm concerned.â
>
> Furnes: âI suggest,Cardinal, that the evidence you have given has been designed to deflect blame from you on doing nothing in relation to Father Searson that had any real effect after the delegation came to you.â
>
> Pell: âUm, that is not accurate because I took up the matter with the Archbishop himself.â
>
> Yesterday, Furness put it to Pell that it was implausible he did not know that notorious pedophile priest, **Gerald Ridsdale** , was abusing children, given it was common knowledge and that Pell held a senior position within the Ballarat diocese, where Ridsdale was abusing. Pell denied the allegation.
Thatâs about as close to âYouâre full of shitâ that the commission can go.
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### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/72 "2016-03-02T00:15:36Z")
There was a conspiracy against Pell because he would have asked tough questions!
Best exchange yet:
Furness: âThere is reference⌠to Father Searson stabbing to death a bird in front of the children.â
Pell: âYes.â
Furness: âDid that come to your attention?â
Pell: âAt some stage I think, I donât know whether the bird was already dead but at some stage I certainly was informed of this bizarre happening.â
Furness: âDoes it matter whether the bird was dead or it was stabbed when it was dead?â
Pell: âNot really. Not really.â
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/73 "2016-03-02T00:18:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*Cardinal Pell: \*\*They (Education Office) might not have been certain I would take decisive action but they would have been fearful that I would, and pretty certain that I would, have asked all sorts of inconvenient questions if Iâd been better briefed.
I have this image of Pell draping his cassock over the lower part of his face, fading into the shadows while muttering âIâm Batman!â
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### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/74 "2016-03-02T00:20:49Z")
Yes, heâs a superhero hamstrung by the status quo.
Heâs really squirming right now. Itâs quite amazing to watch.
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/75 "2016-03-02T00:28:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Pell tells the commission that he knew Father Searson was a serious problem. He has been presented with a list of concerns about Searsonâs behaviour by the Catholic education office, which included a report that he had abused animals in front of children.
>
> âYes, I knew he was a serious problem,â Pell says.
>
> Furness: âYou knew he was such a serious problem that he shouldnât be a priest, didnât you?â
>
> Pell: âNo, I didnât come to that conclusion. The position I accepted was the official position given to me that we did not have sufficient evidence to remove him.â
:smack:
In case anyone is wondering about a sample of Searsonâs behaviour:
> [@](#):
>
> Counsel Assisting: In March 1993, you will no doubt be aware from the material you have read that Searson held a knife to the chest of a young girl in the church saying to her âIf you move, this will go through youâ.
Seems ideal material for a priest.
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### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/76 "2016-03-02T00:40:32Z")
Searson was, by all accounts, a complete psychopath as well as a paedophile. Not that those qualities were enough to disqualify him from being a Catholic priestâmost likely, they only bolstered his CV.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/77 "2016-03-02T00:49:33Z")
Does anybody know a rough time-frame for when the Royal Commission might wrap-up and report its findings?
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/78 "2016-03-02T00:55:25Z")
> [@kambuckta](#):
>
> Does anybody know a rough time-frame for when the Royal Commission might wrap-up and report its findings?
On their website the terms of reference section extends the deadline from 15 December 2015 until 15 December 2017.
[https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/about-us/terms-of-reference](https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/about-us/terms-of-reference)
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/79 "2016-03-02T01:09:57Z")
For an auxiliary bishop, Pell seems staggeringly ignorant of the goings on in his diocese for that time.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-poor-george-cardinal-pell-might-have-been-easier-to-come-home/746315/80 "2016-03-02T01:10:07Z")
Thanks **Battle Pope.**.
Iâm sure Cardinal Pell will be very, _very_ ill by the time the RC releases its report and recommendations.
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