George Pell

George Pell  AC
Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney
See	Sydney
Enthroned	26 March 2001
Ended	Incumbent
Predecessor	Edward Clancy
Created Cardinal	21 October 2003
Other	Archbishop of Melbourne
Born	8 June 1941 (1941-06-08) (age 68) Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church

George Pell AC (born 8 June 1941) is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Australia. Since 2003 he has also been a cardinal. Pell has become one of the most prominent Christian leaders in Australia, especially since becoming Sydney's archbishop.

Contents 1 Life 2 Church leader 3 Doctrinal stances and responses to criticisms 3.1 On sexuality 3.2 On the ordination of women and priestly celibacy 3.3 Accusation of sexual abuse 3.4 On other religions 3.5 On environmental concerns 3.6 Stem cell debate controversy 3.7 On sexual abuse by Catholic priests 4 Eulogy reforms 5 Other roles 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

Life

Pell received a licentiate in theology from Pontifical Urbaniana University in 1967, a doctorate of philosophy in church history from the University of Oxford in 1971 and a master's degree in education from Monash University in 1982. After graduation from Oxford, Pell worked as an assistant priest in parishes in Victoria. He was Visiting Scholar at Campion Hall in 1979 and at St Edmund's College in 1983.

Pell, after serving as Principal of Aquinas College (which later became the Ballarat campus of the Australian Catholic University) and Rector of his alma mater of Corpus Christi College, was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne and Titular Bishop of Scala on 30 March 1987. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 21 May from Archbishop Frank Little, with Bishops Ronald Mulkearns and Joseph O'Connell serving as co-consecrators. Pell was named seventh Archbishop of Melbourne on 16 July 1996, receiving the pallium from Pope John Paul II on 29 June 1997. He was later appointed eighth Archbishop of Sydney on 26 March 2001 and received the pallium from John Paul again on the following 29 June.

Pell has been a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 1990 to 1995 and again since 2002. From 1990 to 2000 he was a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In April 2002, John Paul II named him President of the Vox Clara Committee to advise the Congregation for Divine Worship on English translations of liturgical texts. In December 2002 he was appointed to the Presidential Committee of the Pontifical Council for the Family, having previously served as a consultor to the council.

Pell has written widely in religious and secular magazines, learned journals and newspapers in Australia and overseas and regularly speaks on television and radio. In September 1996 Oxford University Press published his Issues of Faith and Morals, written for senior secondary classes and parish groups. His other publications include The Sisters of St Joseph in Swan Hill 1922-72 (1972), Catholicism in Australia (1988), Rerum Novarum - One Hundred Years Later (1992), Catholicism and the Architecture of Freedom (1999) and Be Not Afraid, a collection of homilies and reflections published in 2004. A biography of Pell was published by Queensland journalist Tess Livingstone in 2002.

Church leader

Since Pell's elevation to Archbishop of Melbourne - and more particularly since his translation to Sydney - he has taken a high public profile on a wide range of issues, while retaining a strict adherence to Catholic orthodoxy.^[1] As his rapid promotion might indicate, he appeared to have the full confidence of John Paul II and his closest advisers such as the current Pope Benedict XVI (as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger).

Pell has consistently worked with other church leaders in his efforts to strengthen the faith of Christians and their contribution to Australian life. This was a difficult task in Sydney, which had a long tradition of sectarian hostility between Catholics and Protestants. The Sydney diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia is predominantly Evangelical and historically anti-Roman Catholic, but Pell worked co-operatively with his Anglican counterpart, Dr Peter Jensen, on political issues while avoiding theological controversies. This was referred to in Sydney as "the ecumenism of the right".

In defending the importance of religious belief in building a just society Pell has also worked with the leaders of non-Christians faiths, arguing in 2001 that "the most significant religious change in Australia over the past 50 years is the increase of people without religion, now about one fifth of the population. All monotheists, Christians and Jews, Muslims and Sikhs, must labour to reverse this. We must not allow the situation to deteriorate as it had in Elijah’s time, 850 years before Christ, where monotheism was nearly swamped by the aggressive paganism of the followers of Baal."

Styles of George Pell
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Sydney

On September 28, 2003, John Paul II announced that he would raise Pell, and 28 others, to the College of Cardinals, and in the consistory of the following October 21, Pell was created Cardinal Priest of S. Maria Domenica Mazzarello. For the first time ever, from Pell's elevation to the cardinalate in 2003 until Cardinal Edward Clancy's 80th birthday on 13 December 2003, there were three Australian cardinal electors (had a papal election become necessary), including Cardinals Clancy and Edward Idris Cassidy.

Pell was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. While there was a little speculation in the Australian media that he had an outside chance of becoming Pope himself, international commentary on the papal succession (aside from one Italian source) did not mention Pell as a contender. However, Pell was mentioned as a possible successor to Benedict XVI as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.^[2] This position was given to William Levada, former Archbishop of San Francisco. Cardinal Pell remains eligible to participate in any future papal conclaves that begin before his 80th birthday on June 8, 2021.

In 2006 Pell made a successful bid for Sydney to host the 2008 World Youth Day. World Youth Day is one of the largest regular international gatherings of young people in the world, often attracting crowds in the millions. The 2008 event will bring Pope Benedict XVI on his first papal visit to Australia and is likely to attract more overseas visitors than the 2000 Sydney Olympics. "We take it for granted that people will always give to the poor and be concerned about social justice," Pell said soon after winning the bid, in remarks which spelled out his pastoral priorities. "But this doesn’t just happen by itself. Many great civilisations have shown no regard for these values at all and have even considered them weaknesses...Every society requires a goodly percentage of active believers to ensure that the values of a fair go and respect for others are promoted, and passed on the next generation. World Youth Day will make a powerful contribution to this vital work".

Doctrinal stances and responses to criticisms

Pell has adopted an uncompromisingly conservative position on social issues. His critics claim that Pell "stands for the kind of Catholicism that we saw in the Middle Ages. He is totally centred around the hierarchy, and dismissive of alternative views."^[3] However Pell has often been wary of what he calls the "callousness" of unrestrained capitalism, and as head of Australian Catholic Relief (now Caritas Australia) put an end to corrupt siphoning of donations to political causes instead of humanitarian aid.

On sexuality

Pell has received much publicity on Catholic attitudes to sexuality, particularly homosexuality. "Christian teaching on sexuality is only one part of the Ten Commandments, of the virtues and vices, but it is essential for human wellbeing and especially for the proper flourishing of marriages and families, for the continuity of the human race," Pell said upon becoming Archbishop of Sydney. "Any genuine religion has two important moral tasks; firstly, to present norms and ideals, goals for our striving; and secondly, to offer aids for our weakness, forgiveness and healing for every wrong doer and sinner who repents and seeks forgiveness."

As Archbishop of Melbourne, and later as Archbishop of Sydney, Pell attracted attention for refusing the sacraments to self-declared homosexuals. "Anybody who is sinning seriously should not go to communion", he said in 2001. "So a gay person who has repented, or a gay person who is not active, is more than welcome to communion." Activists of the Rainbow Sash movement of self-declared gay and lesbian Catholics have appeared on Pentecost Sunday at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne and St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney wearing rainbow sashes and requesting communion. Pell has consistently and steadfastly refused them communion, offering blessings which are in turn refused.

In January 2004 his cousin Monica Hingston, a former nun who had lived in a lesbian relationship for 19 years^[4] published an open letter in the press. Hingston said that she had twice sent the letter to Pell privately, but had received no reply. She had written the letter after the Vatican reaffirmed the Catholic teaching that homosexual acts were "serious depravity" [3]. She challenged Pell to "look her in the eye" and call her "corrupt, debased, vicious, vile, wicked, degenerate" - words she says are synonyms for depraved. "To read that the Vatican has declared us to be 'seriously depraved persons' has appalled and angered me," she wrote.

In response Pell issued a statement saying: "The Church's views are well known and will not change. I support them. In these situations the first 11 verses of Chapter 8 of St John's Gospel give food for thought. I wish Monica well and acknowledge the contribution she has made. I continue to regret the path she has chosen." The passage referred to by Pell was the account of the woman taken in adultery, where Jesus said "let him who is without sin cast the first stone", but also tells the woman, "go and sin no more".

Hingston said she was "not surprised" at Pell's response, because he "had to follow the Vatican line", but it saddened her. "I wanted him to make some statement about who I am as a person to him", she said. "It's very disappointing that I got no response other than scripture." She said that she found the official Catholic teaching "insulting and degrading".

On the ordination of women and priestly celibacy

Pell supported Pope John Paul II's view that the ordination of women is impossible according to the church's divine constitution and has also expressed his opinion that abandoning the tradition of clerical celibacy would be a "serious blunder".^[5]

Accusation of sexual abuse

In June 2002, Pell was accused of having sexually abused a 12-year-old boy at a Catholic youth camp in 1961. At this time Pell was a seminarian. Pell "stood aside", ^[6] but did not resign, as archbishop as soon as the allegations were made public, some weeks after the church became aware of them. Pell vehemently denied all the accusations. The complainant agreed to pursue his allegations through the church’s own process for dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct, The National Committee for Professional Standards (NCPS).

The Hon. A.J. Southwell QC, a retired judge and an Anglican, was appointed a commissioner by the NCPS to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. The commissioner stated that it was “an inquiry, not an adversarial process in which the complainant bears the onus of proof. However, my task, as set out in the Terms of Reference, is to decide ‘whether or not the complaint has been established’”. ^[7] Since the allegations “amounted to the crime of indecent assault, which, at that time,[1961-62] was punishable by imprisonment for a term of up to 10 years Crimes Act 1958, s.68 et al.”, the level of proof must be very high. ^[8] The complainant first made the allegations to his wife abround 1975. Southwell found no evidence that the complaint was made through vindictiveness or desire for compensation. Southwell says: “As to motive, it should be noted that extensive enquiries made on behalf of the respondent [Pell] have unearthed no evidence of any other matter or incident which might have aroused spite or malice on the part of the complainant towards either the respondent or the Church. On the other hand, the respondent has had a strong motive to push memory (if there ever was memory) of these fleeting incidents by a 19 year old into the recesses of the mind, from which there could be no recall.” [Report p.9]

Southwell concluded: “I accept as correct the submissions of Mr Tovey [for the complainant] that the complainant, when giving evidence of molesting, gave the impression that he was speaking honestly from an actual recollection. However, the respondent, also, gave me the impression that he was speaking the truth. ... In the end, and notwithstanding that impression of the complainant, bearing in mind the forensic difficulties of the defence occasioned by the very long delay, some valid criticism of the complainant’s credibility, the lack of corroborative evidence and the sworn denial of the respondent, I find I am not ‘satisfied that the complaint has been established’, to quote the words of the principal term of reference.” [Report p.12]

As a consequence of the inquiry other allegations were publicly made that Pell, along with other church leaders, had sought to cover up past incidents of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by clergy. Critics noted that Pell had accompanied Father Gerald Ridsdale, convicted of sexual offences against a number of children, to court at the beginning of Ridsdale's trial in 1993. Pell, however, didn't give evidence in support of Ridsdale or seek to protect him at the trial.^[9] Ridsdale had been a priest in the Ballarat diocese in the early 1970s, on one occasion living in the same clergy house as Pell and several other priests. Pell has stated in more recent years that he felt accompanying Ridsdale was a mistake because of the potential for others to feel that his sympathies were with Ridsdale rather than his victims.

On other religions

In 2004, speaking to the Acton Institute on the problems of "secular democracy", Pell drew a parallel between Islam and Communism: "Islam may provide in the 21st century, the attraction that communism provided in the 20th, both for those that are alienated and embittered on the one hand and for those who seek order or justice on the other."^[10] An Australian Islamic spokesman, Keysar Trad, described this as inconsistent with the Pope's attempts to reach out to Muslims and an inappropriate comparison: "Communism is a godless system, a system that in fact persecutes faith".^[11]

In a speech delivered to Catholic business leaders at the Legatus Summit in February 2006,^[12] Pell asked the question "Can Islam and the Western democracies live together peacefully?" In examining this question, he discussed reasons for both optimism and pessimism, telling his audience: "Considered strictly on its own terms, Islam is not a tolerant religion and its capacity for far-reaching renovation is severely limited. To stop at this proposition, however, is to neglect the way these facts are mitigated or exacerbated by the human factor." He went on to contrast the "moderate Islam" of Indonesia with the growing influence of "radical Islam" in Pakistan: "These two examples show that there is a whole range of factors, some of them susceptible to influence or a change in direction, affecting the prospects for a successful Islamic engagement with democracy."

The pessimistic elements of Pell's speech provoked a strong reaction, particularly his description of Islam as "not a tolerant religion" and his observation that the Koran contained "many invocations to violence".^[13][14] Refusing to engage the substantive points in Pell's speech, Trad described it as "totally subjective... off-the-cuff dismissal of the teachings of one of the world's great religions, certainly undermining the importance of his office.^[15]

On environmental concerns

Pell aroused criticism from Senator Christine Milne of the Greens political party with the following comment in his 2006 Legatus Summit speech:

Some of the hysteric and extreme claims about global warming are also a symptom of pagan emptiness, of Western fear when confronted by the immense and basically uncontrollable forces of nature. Belief in a benign God who is master of the universe has a steadying psychological effect, although it is no guarantee of Utopia, no guarantee that the continuing climate and geographic changes will be benign. In the past pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods. Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.^[16]

Responding to George Browning, an Anglican environmentalist, Pell stated:

Radical environmentalists are more than up to the task of moralising their own agenda and imposing it on people through fear. They don't need church leaders to help them with this, although it is a very effective way of further muting Christian witness. Church leaders in particular should be allergic to nonsense.^[17]

Stem cell debate controversy

In remarks made at a media conference in June 2007 on a conscience vote overturning the state ban on therapeutic cloning, Pell said that “Catholic politicians who vote for this legislation must realise that their voting has consequences for their place in the life of the Church”. Some members of parliament condemned Pell's comments, calling them hypocritical and drawing comparisons with comments made earlier in the year by Sheik Hilali.^[18][19] Pell's remarks were referred to the Privileges Committee of the state upper house for allegedly being in contempt of parliament. In September the Committee tabled a report clearing him of this charge and recommending that no further action be taken.

On sexual abuse by Catholic priests

On 7 July 2008, the ABC Lateline television program aired an interview with a Sydney man, Anthony Jones who, in 1982 at the age of 21, was twice indecently assaulted by Terence Goodall, a Catholic priest. In 2003, Pell wrote to Jones to say that his complaint against Fr Goodall could not be substantiated as no other victims had come forward. But Lateline revealed that Pell had, on the same day, written to a second victim acknowledging abuse by Fr Goodall. Lateline also revealed that, three weeks earlier, Pell had received a report advising him that both men's complaints against Goodall should be upheld, but Pell's letter to Jones contradicted that advice.^[20]

It has subsequently come to light that Pell dismissed Jones' claims of being sexually abused by Goodall on the basis of Goodall's claim that the two had engaged in sex as two consenting adults. However a tape recording of Goodall phoning Jones to apologise for his act of abuse has caused Pell to reconsider this opinion. On the basis of this tape, Pell is considering reopening the case.

Cardinal Pell stated that this case was not usual because the criminal courts took it up after Jones was not satisfied with church findings, but he said the court too did not charge Goodall with rape. “Goodall was convicted in court under the laws in vogue in 1982 which are now changed”, Pell stated. “There was never any allegation by prosecutors of rape. Goodall was sentenced until the rising of the court and the judge remarked publicly that his conviction would be unlikely under today’s law.”^[21]

Eulogy reforms

In February 2007 Cardinal Pell instituted new guidelines when it comes for family members to speak at funerals. Cardinal Pell said that "On not a few occasions, inappropriate remarks glossing over the deceased's proclivities (drinking prowess, romantic conquests etc) or about the Church (attacking its moral teachings) have been made at funeral Masses" [4]. Pell's guidelines make it clear that the eulogy must never replace the officiating priest's homily, which should focus on God's compassion and the mystery of the resurrection of Jesus.

Other roles

The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney takes the role of Visitor of St John's College, a residential College within the University of Sydney and one of the country's most prestigious. This is a largely ceremonial role and can also be called to give guidance and resolve internal disputes. Under the direction of the Archbishop as Visitor, the College associates itself with the interests of the Church and its mission, particularly by the fostering of appropriate academic directions in education, charity, social justice, ethics and the environment.

References

See also

• St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
• St John's College, University of Sydney

External links

• Sydney Catholic Archdiocese website
• the new Sydney based Seminary of the Good Shepherd
• George Pell: Defender of the Faith Down Under... a biography of Cardinal Pell
• Issues of Faith and Morals... a book by Cardinal Pell
• God and Caesar: Selected Essays on Religion, Politics and Society, by Cardinal Pell

Preceded by Frank Little	7th Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne 1996-2001	Succeeded by Denis Hart
Preceded by Edward Clancy	8th Catholic Archbishop of Sydney 2001–present	Succeeded by incumbent

Roman Catholic Archbishops of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Polding • Vaughan • Moran • Kelly • Gilroy • Freeman • Clancy • Pell