Park Hyatt Melbourne cancels plans to host George Pell memorial
The Park Hyatt Melbourne has backflipped on plans to host a memorial for Cardinal George Pell after copping fierce backlash about the event online.
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The Park Hyatt Melbourne has backflipped on plans to host a George Pell memorial event after copping fierce backlash online.
The five star hotel had agreed to host the event, labelled The George Cardinal Pell Memorial, but pulled the plug citing a “heightened risk” to the safety of its staff and guests following the public outcry.
In 2019 Cardinal Pell became the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sexual abuse, but those charges were later quashed in 2020.
He died in 2023, at the age of 81.
In an email sent to event organisers, charity group Aid to the Church in Need, the Park Hyatt said it could no longer play host to the ticketed event in the face of the rumours of possible public action.
“As mentioned, the hotel was recently made aware of public threats and planned protests related to the nature of your dinner event,” it read.
“After further consideration, we have assessed that these circumstances pose a heightened risk to the safety and security of both our guests and colleagues, as well as the wider community.
“Given our primary commitment to the safety and wellbeing of everyone at the hotel, we have unfortunately come to the difficult decision to decline hosting this event.”
National Director of Aid to the Church in Need Bernard Toutounji said he was disappointed the venue had bowed to public pressure.
“The late Cardinal Pell was a great friend of Aid to the Church in Need, an international charity supporting suffering and persecuted Christians around the world,” he said
“We regret that a venue for a fundraising event has received threats leading that venue to decide not to host the event.
“Aid to the Church in Need will continue its efforts to raise spiritual and material support for suffering and persecuted Christians, as it has done around the world for almost eighty years.”
A number of people on social media platform Reddit said they had called the hotel to voice their disapproval of the event, while others said they planned to rally out the front on the night.
The controversial evening is set to go on with the Aid to the Church website now listing the venue as “to be announced”.
The $150 evening is said to include “canapes, drinks and a three-course meal” with equally controversial author Tess Livingstone as the guest speaker.
Ms Livingstone recently released a biography that shone a favourable light on Cardinal Pell and his “unjust imprisonment”.
When contacted, the Park Hyatt told the Herald Sun it was “not in a position to be able to comment on any of our guests or customers”.
Originally published as Park Hyatt Melbourne cancels plans to host George Pell memorial
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