George Pell 1941–2023

January 10, 2023 5:37 PM

Cardinal George Pell, who was the most senior Catholic official to be convicted of child abuse before his convictions were quashed, one of Australia’s most influential and controversial Catholic clergymen, has died.
posted by Fiasco da Gama (36 comments total)

The best comment I saw in the r/Australia Reddit: "until the high court over turns it."
posted by freethefeet at 5:39 PM on January 10, 2023 [14 favorites]

I was just thinking of "Come Home, Cardinal Pell" the other day because it was so damn catchy, and I was sure he was already dead. Well, better late than never.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:46 PM on January 10, 2023 [15 favorites]

Inflate the balloons of sorrow, hang the streamers of grief, cut the cake of mourning, pour the champagne of bereavement.
posted by adept256 at 5:47 PM on January 10, 2023 [80 favorites]

How George Pell Won In The High Court On A Legal Technicality:

A jury found the cardinal guilty beyond reasonable doubt of five offences.

In doing so, the jury assessed the testimony and credibility of the complainant. They also considered the strength of the claims made by the cardinal about the timing of his whereabouts, who was with him at the relevant times and whether the offences could have happened.

The jury saw and heard all the evidence, in the context of the trial. It was their legal function to make this decision.

Careful analysis of the full reasoning of the High Court is required to fully assess it. But, for now, this extraordinary outcome is strange justice indeed.

Pell has won today on a legal technicality, but he will continue to be assailed by multiple lawsuits.

In contrast, the complainant has been believed by a jury, by a majority judgment and by a substantial body of public opinion.

posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:50 PM on January 10, 2023 [18 favorites]

Best comment I saw was that anybody mourning his death should have their hard drives searched.

Edit: found it!
posted by saladin at 6:00 PM on January 10, 2023 [17 favorites]

I pray that his death brings a measure of peace to his victims.
posted by epj at 6:03 PM on January 10, 2023 [16 favorites]

2023's off to good start!
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:05 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

Good riddance to bad rubbish.
posted by humbug at 6:13 PM on January 10, 2023 [3 favorites]

Peace to his victims.

Rot in hell you sack of shit.
posted by bxvr at 6:13 PM on January 10, 2023 [10 favorites]

The Mad Monk was having a sook and Aussie Twitter is doing us proud.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 6:38 PM on January 10, 2023 [2 favorites]

Met with Rod Dreher a few weeks ago! Says a lot about the both of them.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:04 PM on January 10, 2023 [2 favorites]

I wish that hell he preached about existed for him.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 7:14 PM on January 10, 2023 [6 favorites]

The world is a slightly better place now that he is dead.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:43 PM on January 10, 2023

I'm glad that he died, but sorry that the people who he abused, and the people who were abused by other clergy that he helped to cover up, never got justice.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:55 PM on January 10, 2023 [5 favorites]

I was just thinking of "Come Home, Cardinal Pell" the other day because it was so damn catchy,

Oh yeah. I played it this morning as soon as I read that he was dead. Great toon.

Minchin's song relates to Pell's earlier crap of not returning to Australia to give evidence against his Ballarat flat-mate, Gerry. He made the court come to him. Minchin wrote the song in a day, released it the next, and raised around $250k to pay for the travel expenses of the survivors so they could be face to face with Pell as he gave evidence. Catchy indeed.

For anyone interested, here is an article about the song and the mechanics of musical sarcasm.
posted by Thella at 8:38 PM on January 10, 2023 [11 favorites]

One should only speak good of the dead.

George Pell is dead.

Good.
posted by Etrigan at 8:56 PM on January 10, 2023 [9 favorites]

Are these guys somehow protected from extradition in Italy?
posted by groda at 9:02 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

I hope more of his victims now feel empowered to speak, given that they can't defame a dead person. Australia has some of the most backwards defamation laws in the world.
posted by tinlids at 9:44 PM on January 10, 2023 [2 favorites]

It's like he lost his protection once Benedict died.

The ex-pope, now Pell - who else has Tim Minchin written scathing songs about?
posted by pianissimo at 10:27 PM on January 10, 2023

Whatever the opposite of a "." is < >. Good riddance and how great the Ratzinger and Pell both go so close together - they can keep each other warm in hell.
posted by dangerousdan at 10:35 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

It's like he lost his protection once Benedict died.

Seems quite possible.

If Benedict was protecting him from some consequence that Francis isn’t willing to, such as the publication of damning documents or some kind of report, it could be interesting to see what the gossip is over the next few weeks.
posted by jamjam at 10:44 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

For some reason Albanese has just announced that DFAT will assist with the repatriation of Pell’s body to Australia. Why? Why?
posted by awfurby at 11:10 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

For some reason Albanese has just announced that DFAT will assist with the repatriation of Pell’s body to Australia. Why? Why?

Cadaver synod.
posted by groda at 11:36 PM on January 10, 2023 [4 favorites]

Sooner or later, God'll cut you down.
posted by praemunire at 11:56 PM on January 10, 2023

Italy would be a long way to go to piss on his grave...
posted by GeckoDundee at 3:04 AM on January 11, 2023 [5 favorites]

Do Kissinger next.
posted by flabdablet at 6:05 AM on January 11, 2023 [7 favorites]

The Mad Monk was having a sook and Aussie Twitter is doing us proud

Noice
posted by flabdablet at 6:11 AM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Italy would be a long way to go to piss on his grave

Now there's a nascent pilgrimage tradition I could get behind.
posted by flabdablet at 8:06 AM on January 11, 2023 [4 favorites]

Burn, Georgie, Burn!
posted by Saxon Kane at 10:06 AM on January 11, 2023

We really need to start passing laws to end the way rich and powerful people can just stretch a trial out more or less forever and escape justice by dying of old age.

Pinochet, Milosevic, now this guy, all true scum who just ran out the clock on trials so they never faced justice.

They say the death of any person diminishes us, but I can't see any diminishment in this case. The world was worse for his life and better for his death.
posted by sotonohito at 4:45 PM on January 11, 2023 [2 favorites]

Good. It'd have been better if he died in jail, but this'll do.
posted by harriet vane at 5:54 AM on January 12, 2023 [2 favorites]

Never forget what that vile piece of shit did to the Foster family, and no doubt many others.
posted by Pouteria at 4:22 PM on January 12, 2023

Stark, brutal, and utterly justified.
posted by Pouteria at 4:36 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

From The Saturday Paper in Australia, one of our best media outfits, written by Louise Mulligan, probably the best journo on this story.

As a subscriber I can share it for non-subscribers to read. (Though not sure how many times the link will work.)
posted by Pouteria at 6:27 PM on January 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

Whatever the opposite of a "." is < >.

Might I humbly offer:

..|.,
posted by coriolisdave at 2:37 AM on January 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

Another good Australian journo's take on it all.
posted by Pouteria at 4:46 PM on January 16, 2023 [1 favorite]