George Pell says he was framed. Taking umbrage with his brave attempts to drain the Vatican swamp of corruption, powerful forces inside the church conspired to “destroy” him, the cardinal has told Italian television.
The ever-divisive Pell, acquitted of historic child sex abuse by Australia’s highest court, must still mount a defence in the court of public opinion. And that’s what he’s done since the High Court quashed his conviction in April: fight a quiet PR campaign to recast himself as a victim.
The big conspiracy
Last week Pell appeared on Italian broadcaster RAI’s Sette Storie program to outline a conspiracy theory that’s all a bit “Dan Brown meets The Godfather”. There was, says the cardinal, “some evidence” but — conveniently — “no proof” that shadowy figures in the Holy See wanted him out of the picture.
Pell says he was a crusader, trying to bring reform to the Vatican’s notoriously opaque finances. He says everyone who went near the money found themselves attacked in some way.
“Every single one, with very few exceptions, has been publicly attacked in one way or another … Let’s not forget what happened to [Vatican banker Roberto] Calvi who committed suicide under a bridge in London with his hands behind his back … which is a very strange way to hang yourself,” he said.
Calvi’s mysterious death was a mere 38 years ago. But Pell also claimed the campaign by the Vatican’s old guard reached Australian shores.
Former Sydney diocese business manager Danny Casey’s car was set on fire. Pell said this was linked to Casey helping him with the finance probe in Rome. We contacted NSW Police for comment about the car fire but they could not provide details of the case without specifics, which Crikey could not source. Casey could not be reached for comment.
There is some evidence Pell was ruffling feathers in Rome. A recent tome by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, The Vatican’s Black Book, details decades of corruption and skulduggery in the Vatican and mentions Pell being shadowed by his opponents.
But Pell’s conspiracy claims appear baseless. Speaking to The Australian, Vivian Waller, the lawyer for Pell’s accuser, said there was no evidence of the Vatican transferring money to Australia to fund the case against him.
The PR blitz
The curious thing about Pell’s latest claim is that it’s the first time he’s spelled it out. At the same time he hasn’t lacked media attention.
The first volume of his tell-all memoir Prison Journal was released this week. Ahead of its release, he did a 90-minute interview with Reuters (nothing with an Australian outlet as yet) where he hinted at financial issues engulfing the Vatican and described the “dark moments” he faced in prison — but he stopped short of conflating the two.
And in an AP review of Prison Journal the theory doesn’t get a mention — time is spent instead on trying to justify the Catholic Church’s response to the child sex abuse crisis.
“If anyone in the mid-’90s knew the extent of the problem, they did not say so publicly, or to me privately,” he wrote. “We thought the Melbourne Response would finish its work in a few years.”
The book describes US President Donald Trump as “our Christian barbarian”, takes a few pot shots at Pope Francis and documents his legal strategy.
No mention still of the conspiracy.
Shifting the blame
Sinister Vatican forces are just the latest to be blamed for Pell’s ordeal.
In his first interview, a week after being released from prison, he spoke to Andrew Bolt, one of his most fervent defenders, and explained the initial conviction was the result of culture wars and hatred of his social conservatism.
“A lot of people don’t like my views,” he said. “I’m a social conservative.
“The culture wars are real.”
Certainly, despite his acquittal, Pell remains a culture war lightning rod, and a man widely despised by many. Don’t be surprised if the PR blitz continues.
I would have liked to have seen him immediately charged as an accomplice in child sexual abuse and every darned priest and reverend that shifted those hideous men on to their next lot of unwitting victims, should have been charged as accomplices with him.
Innocent? Not remotely!
Is such a policy to be extended to work colleagues or family members who commit crimes Jennifer ?
It already can be and sometimes is.
‘So let’s start respecting (and protecting) the private human glory – [the better truly to avert the] potential catastrophe – ‘
Apologies. Hope it was clear.
Apologies, Jennifer, that addendum was not meant for your comment, but for my DB reply above. Dumb fingers.
And thanks again to Crikey for allowing this discussion, albeit a bit belatedly, to unfold here. The ‘Pell affair’ remains, in my view, a profoundly confronting one for everyone to square honestly up to, but especially self-identified progressive thinkers. As unpalatable as doing so may be, it’s absolutely critical to the ongoing viability of progressivism – not to mention the Victorian legal system, frankly. Some things ought not be simply swept conveniently under the carpet.
Happy Christmas, all.
Up to a point, Jack, but only up to a point. The comments were surpressed for a number of topics (that were not treated well by ignoring references to academic research) and the more complex topics, that required some research drew few comments.
There remains at Cky no effective database and no provision for uploading graphs etc. The current system is an adopted commercial product.
As for the word ‘progressive’ it seems to mean anything to anyone. No author at Cky has made any attempt to define the expression. Some would deem the sentiment synonymous with ‘woke’
As for this particular ‘affair’, for quite some time, the community disposition is to adopt a point of view and proceed to cherry-pick ‘evidence’ to support it. The practice has been acquired from one’s political masters and such has come to be regarded as public debate. There are significantly greater issues to hand but are being treated with similar competence.
Agreed : there are somewhere between a dozen and a score of subscribers that make the engagement worth while (especially for the price of a cup of coffee each month). As for future directions, it was P. J. Plauger (ref. on Wikipedia and visited Australia in the mid 80s) who emphasised the point that when a publisher aims for the Union only the Intersection is captured.
The majority (eg 4 out of 7 ) of High Court judges are practising catholics – Susan Mary, Patrick, John and Simon.
Regardless of all Pells excuses the simple fact is he was one of the many principles of the Catholic church that protected and moved child-molesting priests from diocese to diocese and even went as far as giving character references to the courts prosecuting them, that alone should seal heavens gate and throw satans welcoming red carpet out.
Personally, I can’t forgive his taking a position on climate change and reinforcing that onto Tony Abbott, leading to a decade of fossil fuel loving and inaction on climate change. That wasted decade, and counting.
What was he doing getting involved in climate change debate?
It is time we stopped giving this man oxygen to peddle his views. Now it is conspiracy theories. No mention of the victims of child abuse. They remain silenced while he, from the safety of Vatican City, positions himself as the victim who blindly did his duty, totally unaware of the young lives being destroyed all around him. By the 1990s the church began updating its protocols, responding to accusations made about covering up crimes perpetrated from the 1950s forward. The issue of abuse was squarely in the media both here and overseas by the late 1980s. Every time victims of the church build the courage to call out their abusers they are drowned out by lawyers and PR media spin. Volume 1 of Prison Journal out just in time for Christmas.
Rumour has it the Stye News channel has offered the recently pedicured Pell his own Sunday morning R rated tv show. Advertising /sponsors will include Tony ” the mad monk” modelling his recently released line of speedos inspired “his and her” after beach wear, Alan Jones’ new nasal hair removal and haemorrhoid treatments, the makers of Velcro “quick relief” vestments and the Vatican Bank’s, Holy City/State backed personal and professional liability insurance products.
Regular guests on Pell’s Pals will include Erica Betz, Bobbie ” the hooter” Houston and Dyson “all hands” Heydon. The Hillsong Choir will close each show with a collection of catchy tunes written and arranged by Rolf Harris.
I don’t have a TV but I expect the viewers will enjoy the variety.
Would you like me to speak to the warden, and see if we can have your loss of privileges reversed?
If you think that you need a TV, Gary, I could not be happier for you.
ha ha good one