Why Cardinal Pell’s prison diaries are an inspiring read

Cardinal ­George Pell’s prison diary may not sound like an uplifting read, but its narrative reveals a man who has grown, transcended even, through his trials.

A prison diary may not seem like cheery Christmas reading but the first volume of Cardinal ­George Pell’s Prison Journal trilogy is that and more, it’s a tonic, an inspiration and an instruction in humanity and decency in the face of adversity.

Cardinal Pell, now in Rome, spent more than 400 days in solitary confinement after suffering at the hands of the Victorian government’s police and ­judiciary.

It took his final appeal to the High Court nearly nine months ago to ­endorse the view of a single member, Justice Mark Weinberg, of that state’s three-member Court of Appeal, that the cardinal was innocent.

Lesser men than George Pell might well have despaired in the face of the outrageous reporting by the ABC and the Nine Media of the clearly implausible charges, the incomprehensible claims made by the police and prosecution, and the flawed findings of the Victorian Supreme Court but the cardinal’s faith and resolve only strengthened during his ordeal.

It was a truly shameful episode for the Victorian police, already deeply compromised by their corrupt ­engagement of Lawyer X, Nicola Gobbo, as an informant while she was acting as counsel for a number of ­alleged criminals.

Cardinal George Pell’s faith and resolve only strengthened during his ordeal. Picture: Victor Sokolowicz

Equally grotesque was the decision by Melbourne University Press to rush into print with a disgraceful book by former Moove milk model Louise Milligan, who was disgustingly promoted by the taxpayer-funded ABC and even presented with a Melbourne Press Club Golden Quill award and the Walkley Book award for her work titled Cardinal: The Rise And Fall Of George Pell.

A narrative which has had to be ­corrected and should — if MUP and Milligan had a skerrick of the integrity of Cardinal Pell — be withdrawn with apologies.

Knowing he was innocent, finding solace in his actual suffering, and ­greatly supported by friends and ­family, the cardinal has grown, transcended even, through his trials. I asked him early on Thursday via a Zoom conference, whether he intended to pursue the Victorian government for wrongful or malicious prosecution and whether he would seek damages for the defamatory claims made against him by the Left-wing media, but he told me he would not.

Now 79, he is more focused on the positive experiences he found in prison.

He has, he said, been delighted with the progress on the inquiries into the Vatican finances, which he led before the false charges were laid against him.

The climate for reform is now very different from when he took on the challenge in the face of great ­resistance from powerful forces within the Church.

Australian Cardinal George Pell attends a Pope's Mass with new cardinals at St. Peter's basilica in The Vatican. Picture: AFP

However, he believes there may have been a connection between his work on reforming Vatican finances and the prosecution though he is clear that there is no proof that money from Rome was used to pervert the course of justice.

“What we can say is that one of the monsignors quoted in the Italian press has said he has seen evidence of money going from Rome to Australia,” he added.

The most depressing thing, he found, was that the Supreme Court of Victoria found that he was guilty when great legal minds around the world pointed out the numerous flaws and fallacies in the case.

He believes that the Victorian police were either duped or that their work was very sloppy and said he had been told the Office of Public Prosecutions had refused three times to consent to the charges going forward and that the gossip was that the Victorian police took the action themselves and paid for the prosecution out of their budget.

Just as the disgraced Gobbo was paid to breach lawyer-client confidentiality to provide Victorian police with information and convictions.

The cardinal said there was a point of view, which he supported, that there was a current of anti-Catholicism ­running through the whole state like osmosis. Through the Labor government, the police, the legal framework, inducing a state of mind which affected even some members of the conservative ­Opposition.

He called it “woke thinking”, or “Green thinking” and said there was a need for greater social conservatism.

On that point, the thousands of ­people who wrote letters of support to Cardinal Pell during his shameful per­iod of imprisonment could only agree.

Merry Christmas. Be uplifted.

Cardinal George Pell: Prison ­Journal Volume 1 is available through Freedom Publishing Books and Ignatius Press.