A Conviction Set Aside !

George Pell is now a free man but for the remainder of his life he will be a notorious figure in the eyes of many people.  Because this archbishop was the leader of the Catholic Church in Australia he has become inextricably entwined with the sins of that church.  Many with grievances against the Church of Rome rejoiced in 2018 when a Victorian County court found him guilty of five charges relating to the sexual assault of two choirboys in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral in 1996.  As a result, Pell was sent to prison and served four hundred days behind bars before his appeal to the High Court of Australia saw the sentence quashed unanimously by the seven justices who represent the apex of the Australian legal system.

The day after Pell walked free his detractors launched a graffiti attack on the doors of the Cathedral that featured in his conviction. There are people in Australia who have neither forgiven or forgotten the complicity of the Catholic Church in covering up the activities of paedophile priests.  It became the practice to simply move them to a new parish where they were free to continue their activities.

For many years the church stonewalled  responsibility and Pell was the adjudicator of funds dispersed in compensation.  He fought each case as if the money was coming from his own pocket and as a result he was promoted to high office in the church headquarters in Rome.  Pell became one of the church world leaders to hold the position of adviser to the Pope.

We are all entitled to our own opinion, but the fact remains that the High Court of Australia has in its judgement lifted that sentence  from Pell's shoulders.  He is now 78 years old and it is likely that he will spent the final years of his life as a retired priest living in a monastery set aside for such retirees.It would be grossly unfair if any public appearance resulted in vilification or personal attacks related to the charges brought against him.

That is now a closed book. Pell has been pilloried in a court room and found guilty by a jury, but that judgement has been set aside by the highest judicial body in this land.  Many fair minded people would agree that public opinion may be  branding Pell with the disfavour the church he represents has brought on itself by its refusal to enmesh erring priests in the civil justice system.  It is quite clear that the church considers itself above the law of the lands in which its followers reside.

There are encouraging signs that the church is - ever slowly - moving towards a recognition of its responsibilities to obey civil law.  Whatever Pell may - or may not - have done in the past, he is now a retired old man and he should be left to enjoy his final years in peace !