The Catholic Weekly 10 May 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 3 10, May, 2020 Looking for a new Job? www.catholicjobsonline.com.au Redactions rejected Cardinal criticises Royal Commission assumptions as unsupported by evidence CARDINAL GEORGE Pell has rejected statements of the Roy- al Commission into Institu- tional Child Sexual Abuse that he must have known about notorious paedophile priest Gerard Ridsdale following the release of redacted reports on 7May. In a statement a spokesper- son for the cardinal said he was surprised by some of the views of theRoyal Commission about his actions. “These views are not sup- ported by evidence,” the spokesperson said. “He is es- pecially surprised by the state- ments in the report about the earlier transfers of GeraldRids- dale discussed by the Ballarat Diocesan Consultors in 1977 ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues and 82 ... The Consultors who gave evidence on the meet- ings in 1977 and 1982 either said they did not learn of Rids- dale’s offending against chil- dren until much later or they had no recollection of what was discussed. None said they were made aware of Ridsdale’s offending at these meetings ... The-then Fr Pell left the Di- ocese of Ballarat and therefore his position as a consultor at the end of 1984.” The previously heavily-re- dacted reports reveal that the Royal Commission accept- ed the advice of the counsel assisting its inquiry that the cardinal was deliberately in- volved in moving serial abus- er Gerald Ridsdale between parishes while was serving as a consultor to Bishop Ronald Mulkearns. The Commission said it was “satisfied that by 1973 Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy but that he also had consid- ered measures of avoiding sit- uations which might provoke gossip about it”. “We do not accept that Bish- op Pell was deceived, inten- tionally or otherwise,” read the formerly redacted report. “It is implausible given the matters set out ... that Bishop [Ronald] Mulkearns did not inform those at the meeting of at least complaints of sexual abuse of children having been made.” The Commission also found that Cardinal Pell, 78, should have done more to remove the abusive Melbourne par- ish priest Peter Searson from ministry in 1989, and that he failed to adequately deal with claims of sex abuse at St Pat- rick’s College in Ballarat during the 1970s. Regarding Fr Searson, Car- dinal Pell’s spokesperson said that as an auxiliary bishop in Melbourne from 1987-1996, the then-BishopPellmet witha delegation from Doveton Par- ish in 1989 which did not men- tion sexual assaults and did not ask for Searson’s removal. “Appointed Archbishop of Melbourne on 16 August 1996, ArchbishopPell placedFr Sear- son on administrative leave in March 1997 and removed him from the parish on 15 May 1997,” the statement read. Theology on Tap is back with a blast IT’S STILL possible to catch up with friends in Sydney over a beer to hear a talk by a well-known Catholic speaker - albeit from the comfort of your home. Bishop Richard Umbers will feature in the first Theol- ogy on Tap event to be held online on Monday 11 May. Hosted by the Universi- ty of Notre Dame Australia chaplaincy team, who are not discouraged by the pan- demic lockdown and social distancing restrictions, it will also include popular Irish speaker Fr Conn Ó Maold- homhnaigh. Theology on Tap is a long-running and popular event series, usually held at a bar, which has routinely drawn an audience of more than 200 people from the university and wider com- munity. The event to be live- streamed on the Theology on Tap Facebook page, is a special one to mark the 200th anniversary of Fr John Joseph Therry’s arrival in Sydney. One of the founding fa- thers of the Church in Aus- tralia, Fr Therry was edu- cated at Carlow College, St Patrick’s, in Ireland before arriving in Sydney in May 1820. He spent the next 40 years helping to establish the first church in the city – where St Mary’s Cathedral now stands. Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh is the president of Carlow Col- lege and will speak on the topic, ‘Archpriest John Ther- ry – a Meddling Priest?’. Bishop Umbers will intro- duce the event, which will conclude with a question and answer session from the online audience. Fr Conn Ó Maoldhomhnaigh will speak on Fr John Therry. These views are not supported by evidence ... He is especially surprised by the statements in the report about the earlier transfers of Gerald Ridsdale discussed by the Ballarat Di- ocesan Consultors in 1977 and 82.” Spokesperson for the Cardinal Lidcombe mums are Number 1 A paper flower for Mothers Day at St Joachims sits attached to a pew with hundreds of others. FROM PAGE 1 family Mass,” said Marianna. “To give students an oppor- tunity to lay a flower dedicat- ed to Our Lady. “When we couldn’t gath- er for Mass, we decided to put the initiative online for mothers, grandmothers or any other mother figure.” Then, together with Father Eduardo, they put the call out via the parish Facebook page for people in the community to contribute the names of the special women in their lives to be displayed dur- ing the live-streamed Mass, where Father Eduardo will deliver a special blessing for mothers. “Let’s celebrate Mothers’ Day together online. Join us for the 10am Live Stream Mass this Sunday,” read a parish Facebook update. “Fr Eduardo will pray for all the mothers, grandmoth- ers and motherly figures in our lives.” The flowers now fill the enormous church, bring- ing life and joy to the sacred space. A reminder that while they may be physically emp- ty, they are spiritually full. “They are a physical re- minder for Father Eduardo and to all of us when we see the empty pews,” said Mar- ianna. “Now you can see a garden of flowers, and be- hind each one is a faithful parishioner.” St Joachim’s Religious Education coor- dinator, Mrs Jeanelle Rich- ards,was quick to praise the hard work and dedication of Marianna. “It’s a wonderful job that Marianna has done,” said Mrs Richards. “We’re all very proud of her work and the project she’s put together.” New South Wales has been blessed with the ease of so- cial distancing restrictions. The loosening of regulations will allow some families the room to gather and celebrate a Mother’s Day that’s unlike- ly to be forgotten in a hurry. The flowers now fill the enormous church, bringing life and joy to the sa- cred space. “They are a physical remind- er to Fr Eduardo and to all of us ...” NEWS