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Cardinal George Pell said the Catholic Church “has made enormous mistakes” in dealing with allegations of sex abuse by priests.
The Australian prelate made the statement when he testified via video link from a Rome hotel to the Royal Commission sitting in Sydney.
“I’m not here to defend the indefensible. The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those,” Cardinal Pell told the commission.
“The church has in many places, certainly in Australia, mucked things up, has let people down,” he added.
It was the third time that Cardinal Pell testified before the commission and the second time he has used a video-link to do so.
The Royal Commission is looking into how child sex abuse incidents and sex abuse cases committed by priests were handled in Ballarat in Victoria and the Archdiocese of Melbourne where Cardinal Pell served.
In his testimony, Pell said he was not aware of priests being sent for treatment for sexual offenses in the 1970s and early 1980s by then Bishop Ronald Mulkearns of Ballarat.
In a separate statement issued on Sunday, Cardinal Pell expressed support for the investigation, saying that he hoped the coming days “will eventually lead to healing for everyone.”
Victims of abuse from Australia, some wearing T-shirts printed with the words “No More Silence,” were in the audience when the cardinal made his testimony.
David Ridsdale, nephew of abuse victim Gerald Ridsdale, said he was pleased with Cardinal Pell’s “more conciliatory tone.” He, however, criticized the cardinal’s “careful selection of words.”
Sources
BBC
BBC
The Irish Times
AP/CBS News
Image: Getty Images/BBC
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