Cardinal says should have done more to stop Aussie pedophile

Pell yesterday told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that three of the seven consulters at the meeting knew of the history of complaints against Ridsdale but said he did not know because Mulkearns had deceived him and another priest had lied about the matter.

Numerous survivors wore t-shirts emblazoned with the words “No More Silence”.

The Age reports that a visibly upset Mr Levey was with other abuse victims at the Quirinale hotel in Rome, and watched as Cardinal Pell gave his evidence on Tuesday.

Pell, who said this week he has the full backing of Pope Francis, has told the Commission that the church made “enormous mistakes” and “catastrophic” choices by refusing to believe abused children, shuffling abusive priests from parish to parish and over-relying on counselling of priests to solve the problem.

Cardinal Pell said he had no recollection of Ridsdale’s sexual behaviour being raised at any high level church meeting where it was chose to shift him from parish enabling him to continue offending for decades.

The Cardinal laid the blame for the rampant sexual abuse of children across Ballarat on dying Bishop Mulkearns despite being challenged that his claim of ignorance was “implausible”.

During intense cross-examination, Commission Chair Justice Peter McClellan suggested to Cardinal Pell that given he have no recollection of what happened at the meeting, is was reasonable to assume he was told.

Pell said he had not known the sexual abuse was common knowledge in Inglewood. “It’s a sad story and it wasn’t of much interest to me”.

The commission heard the then Bishop Mulkearns was aware of allegations against Ridsdale, as was another senior member of the diocese, in the 1970s.

He admitted “in light of what we know now”, the fact that Day was appointed a parish priest in Timboon a year after his resignation was “quite unacceptable”.

Ballarat, Pell’s hometown, has been devastated by disclosures about the huge number of abuse victims, scores of whom killed themselves in a cluster of abuse-related suicides.

“Too many of them certainly were dismissed and sometimes they were dismissed in absolutely scandalous circumstances”, he said.

“My answers were created to answer your questions accurately and completely”, Pell told the Sydney inquiry via videolink from a Rome hotel.

It was broadcast live on television across Australia.

“There was so much media here in the room, so much interest by worldwide media”.

Earlier in the week the survivors said they were unhappy with such restrictions imposed on a meeting with the cardinal. “What we want to see is him being really candid”. He was Ballarat’s bishop from 1971 until he retired in 1997.

The photograph shows a then 14-year-old Paul Levey who was “sexually abused all the time just about every day” after he was sent to live with Ridsdale at a presbytery in Mortlake, Sydney, for six months after his parents separated in 1982.

It has heard claims of child abuse involving churches, orphanages, community, sports and youth groups and schools.

“I think that is a reasonable proposition”, Pell said.

“This is my gesture of support, especially for the people of Ballarat”. While some elements of the plan have been criticized, it was regarded as the first redress scheme for survivors of clerical sexual abuse of its kind in Australia. “I hope the coming days will eventually lead to healing for everyone”. About an hour after the hearing concluded, Anthony Foster, the father of two victims, met briefly with Cardinal Pell as he prepared to leave the hotel.

Ribbons were also removed from outside St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane.

“I knew nothing about his paedophilia”, he said.