AUSTRALIA'S HIGHEST RANKING CATHOLIC OFFICIAL IS FACING
CHARGES OF SEXUAL OFFENSES.
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL WAS CHARGED ON SUMMONS OVER MULTIPLE
CHARGES, AND IS DUE TO FACE MELBOURNE'S MAGISTRATE COURT.
A COMMENT FROM THE POLICE DEPUTY ADMINISTER,
" CARDINAL PELL IS FACING MULTIPLE CHARGES IN RESPECT
OF HISTORIC SEXUAL OFFENSES.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING TO THOSE CHARGES."
HIS RESPONSIBILITY IS FOR THE FINANCES OF THE VATICAN, HE
WAS APPOINTED A CARDINAL IN 2003,
AND HE IS ALSO THE ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE, APPOINTED IN 1996.
HE DENIES ALL THESE ALLEGATIONS, AND HE ALSO SAYS THAT POPE
FRANCIS IS ACUTELY AWARE OF THE SITUATION.
PELL SPOKE AND SAID, "I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE HOLY FATHER
FOR GIVING ME THIS LEAVE TO RETURN TO AUSTRALIA.
I'VE SPOKEN TO MY LAWYERS ABOUT WHEN THIS WOULD BE NECESSARY.
ALL ALONG I HAVE BEEN TOTALLY CLEAR IN MY REJECTION OF
THESE ALLEGATIONS.
NEWS OF THESE CHARGES STRENGTHENS MY RESOLVE, AND
COURT PROCEEDINGS NOW OFFER THE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR MY
NAME, AND THEN RETURNED TO ROME TO WORK."
WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HISTORICAL SEXUAL OFFENSES, THAT
JUST INDICATES THAT THESE MAY HAVE TAKEN PLACE SOME TIME AGO.
I WAS A LITTLE THROWN OFF, THE TERM IS A LITTLE CLUNKY,
HISTORICAL SEXUAL OFFENSES.
RIGHT, THERE'S A CONSTELLATION OF COMPLAINTS, THAT TAKE
PLACE OVER HISTORY.
OVER A HISTORY, THAT ARE NOW COMING TO LIGHT, AND IT WAS
REVEALED IN FEBRUARY, OF 2016, THAT THE VICTORIA POLICE WERE
INVESTIGATING PELL OVER SOME OF THESE CHARGES.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY INTERESTING, ESPECIALLY SINCE POPE
FRANCIS SAYS HE HAS A ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY OVER
SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND HE WANTED TO, FOR LACK ñ
FOR LACK OF BETTER TERM, DRAIN THE SWAMP, BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING
FROM THE HIGHEST ORDER THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS COMING OUT.
YEAH, SO, OBVIOUSLY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS BEEN RIDDLED WITH
THESE SCANDALS, AND IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE SOME TIME
NOW, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS OF, YOU KNOW,
WHAT HE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF, LIKE, SPECIFIC DETAILS OF WHAT
HE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF, AND ALSO I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVIDENCE
THERE IS TO FIND HIM GUILTY, AND I'M GLAD THAT HE WILL FACE THE
JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND HOPEFULLY JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S GUILTY OR NOT, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO
GET AT; HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS A
HISTORY OF SEXUAL ABUSE, HAS A HISTORY OF COVERING UP THOSE
SEXUAL ABUSES, AND IT HAS BEEN DEVASTATING FOR SO MANY PEOPLE,
WHO WERE VICTIMIZED BY PRIESTS.
THOSE WITHIN HIGH POSITIONS WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AND TO KNOW THAT THIS STORY CONTINUES, THAT MORE SCANDALS
ARE COMING OUT, AND MORE VICTIMS ARE SPEAKING UP IS REALLY
DEVASTATING, BUT I DO HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE JUSTICE, AND THAT
THEY WILL LOOK AT ALL THE EVIDENCE, AND DETERMINE
WHETHER OR NOT HE IS GUILTY OF THESE ALLEGATIONS.
WELL, THERE WILL BE A SMALL J ON JUSTICE, BECAUSE WHEN A GUY IS A
76 YEARS OLD, AND HE HAS BEEN PUT IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY
OVER SONY CHILDREN, WHO ARE TOLD TO PUT THEIR FAITH IN THIS MAN,
AND ARE TOLD THAT THIS MAN IS CLOSER TO GOD THAN WE ARE, AND
WHO IS ABUSED ALL THAT FAITH, WELL THEN JUSTICE CAN'T REALLY
BE DONE, BECAUSE THAT ABUSE IS SO TOXIC; IT LIVES WITH
THOSE KIDS FOREVER, FOR THEIR LIVES.
AND SO, OF COURSE WE CAN'T KNOW IF HE REALLY DID IT OR NOT, BUT
LET'S ALL JUST SAY ñ OR I WILL SAY IT ñ I'M NOT SURPRISED TO
HEAR THE ALLEGATION, AND IN THAT I THINK YOU CAN READ ENOUGH.
AND YOU KNOW, THESE ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULTS, SOME OF THEM
ARE FROM AS EARLY AS 1976, TO 1980, AND THEN IN EAST MELBOURNE
FROM 1996 TO 2001, SO THESE ACCUSATIONS GO BACK DECADES, AND
AGAIN, WE WILL SEE HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT AND HOW ñ AND WHAT THE
EVIDENCE INDICATES, BUT IT'S JUST SO SAD TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE
IN POSITIONS OF POWER CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF POWERLESS
INDIVIDUALS, AND VICTIMIZE THEM LIKE THIS.
AND ALSO, FOR SO LONG THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH,
AND ITS POWER WENT UNQUESTIONED FOR SO LONG.
MAYBE JUST NOW THEY ARE FEELING EMPOWERED ENOUGH TO COME
FORWARD, AND THEY FEEL EMBOLDENED THAT PEOPLE WILL
BELIEVE THEM, BECAUSE BEFORE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, PEOPLE VIEWED RELIGION, ESPECIALLY THE CATHOLIC
FAITH, VERY DIFFERENTLY; IT WAS NOT SOMETHING YOU GO AGAINST.
THE PRIEST, LIKE YOU POINTED OUT, WAS AS CLOSE TO GOD AS
YOU WILL EVER COME, SO THAT IS NOT AN AUTHORITY FIGURE YOU
WANT TO CROSS.
SO IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT A LOT OF THESE OFFENSES ARE
HISTORICAL OFFENSES, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK THEN DID
NOT REALIZE THAT THESE BEHAVIORS WERE WRONG.
HIT WAS EASIER FOR PRIESTS TO HAVE THIS ABUSE OF POWER,
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S COMING OUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT THAT
PEOPLE ARE ALL LYING.
I'LL TELL YOU WHO DID REALIZE THAT THESE BEHAVIORS WERE WRONG:
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AS A POLITICAL INSTITUTION, TO PROTECT THEMSELVES THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH ñ AND SO MANY RELIGIONS ñ PROTECT THEMSELVES
INSTITUTIONALLY, AND SO WE SAW THEM MOVE PRIESTS.
MOVE PRIESTS, WHO THEY KNEW WERE GUILTY OF PEDOPHILIA, AND WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT CHILD RAPE, WE SAW THEM MOVE THEM, FROM PARISH TO
PARISH, FROM STATE TO STATE, AND THEY KEPT RECORDS OF THIS STUFF.
SO, IT IS AN INSTITUTION THAT IS NOW BEING QUESTIONED.
INSTITUTIONALLY, AS YOU SAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS POPE?
HE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY, AND
THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO IS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE PUB.
YEAH, THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE THE ñ
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VATICAN'S FINANCES, I'M SURE THAT
SOMEONE THEY VALUE VERY HIGHLY.
THIS MAKE IT A TOUGH PILL FOR THE CHURCH TO SWALLOW.
SO, MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THIS IS A HORRIBLE
THING, THESE ARE HORRIBLE CRIMES THAT HAVE BEEN PERPETRATED, AND
IF INDEED HE IS GUILTY OF ALL THESE THINGS HE IS A DESPICABLE
PERSON, BUT WHAT HAPPENS MOVING FORWARD?
THAT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE I THINK IT GOES FURTHER THAN DEMANDING
JUSTICE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE
CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO PREVENT THIS FROM
HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
IN THE PAST WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS
WHOLE CELIBACY THING, AND HOW IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
ANYWAY, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO THINK IT
DOES MAKE SENSE, BUT YOU CREATE THIS WEIRD ENVIRONMENT WHERE
ADULTS ARE SUPPOSED TO IGNORE THEIR SEXUAL URGES, AND THEN BE
CELIBATE.
AND ALSO, THERE SHOULD BE CONSEQUENT IS FOR PEOPLE
THAT WERE ESSENTIALLY HIDING THESE THINGS, COVERING THEM UP.
WHY DON'T WE EVER TALK ABOUT THEM BEING BROUGHT TO JUSTICE?
SURE, IF YOU HAD SOMETHING IN YOUR FAMILY, AND YOU KNEW THAT
THEY WERE RAPING A CHILD, AND THE COPS CAME TO YOU, OR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD CAME TO YOU AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE GOTTEN
COMPLAINTS THAT YOUR BROTHER IS INVOLVED WITH ñ AND YOU SAID, WE
ARE JUST WANT TO HANDLE THIS AS A FAMILY.
WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT, WE PROMISE YOU WON'T HEAR
ANYTHING MORE, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE HIM TO A DIFFERENT STATE.
NO YOU'RE NOT, WE ARE GOING TO COME IN AND ARREST HIM AND
HE'S GOING TO GO ON TRIAL.
BUT FOR YEARS, FOR DECADES, IT'S BEEN HANDLED DIFFERENTLY.
WE AS A FAMILY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ARE GOING TO HANDLE IT INSTITUTIONALLY.
GOING FORWARD, AS ANA SAID, THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE AN
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE TO HOW THESE THINGS
ARE HANDLED.