How George Pell’s faith wavered on path to freedom
George Pell had all but lost hope when Victoria’s top court rejected his appeal. The man who was once the world’s third highest ranking Catholic told friends he’d had enough. But something convinced him to push on to clear his name.
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George Pell almost gave up before his High Court appeal.
After the Victorian Court of Appeal dismissed his initial appeal he confided to friends that he’d had enough.
He’d had faith in the justice system, and had vehemently protested his innocence.
But after a lengthy preliminary hearing, two gruelling trials, and a failed appeal he had all but lost hope.
His prospects at convincing the High Court to hear his case appeared slim, and his chances of having his convictions quashed even slimmer.
But he was convinced to push on.
VICTORY IN THE HIGH COURT
Yesterday a full bench of the High Court vindicated his decision, handing down a unanimous 7-0 decision in his favour.
That brief period before he decided to take his case to the High Court was the only time his faith in the justice system wavered, sources say.
Even before he was charged, Pell was confident that police would be unable to build a case against him, because he had done nothing wrong.
Police had launched a secret “intel probe” into Pell to determine whether there were any unreported serious crimes connected to him.
Senior police later conceded it was a “get Pell” mission.
“What a load of absolute and disgraceful rubbish. Completely false. Madness,” he told police who travelled to Rome in 2016 to interview him before charges were laid.
That Pell had found the choirboys in the sacristy after Sunday mass drinking altar wine then abused each of them was, he said three times, “completely false”.
“This is in the sacristy, at the cathedral, after Sunday mass? Well, need I say anymore,” he told detectives.
“What a load of garbage and falsehood and deranged falsehood.”
Pell said he would be able to easily prove the allegations were just not implausible, but impossible.
“I’d like just to say a word or two about the Sunday mass at the cathedral in Melbourne,” he said.
“For a start there would be hundreds of people present. I was always accompanied by a master of ceremonies. It was a big operation. The sacristy after mass was generally a hive of activity.”
Other claims were also unlikely, he said, particularly that the boys would have had access to altar wine, which was “always locked away” after mass.
“You could scarcely imagine a place that was more unlikely to be committing paedophilia crimes than the sacristy of a cathedral after Sunday mass,” he said.
He concluded the interview confident that would be the end of the matter.
It wasn’t, and he was subsequently charged.
Again he was confident that the charges would amount to nothing.
Addressing the world’s media from the Vatican, the Cardinal said: “I am innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”
COURTROOM DEFEATS
Pope Francis had granted him a leave of absence as head of the Vatican’s finances to fight the charges.
“These matters have been under investigation now for nearly two years. There have been leaks to the media, relentless character assassination and, for more than a month, claims that a decision on laying charges is ‘imminent’.
“I am looking forward finally to having my day in court.
“News of these charges strengthens my resolve, and court proceedings now offer me an opportunity to clear my name and then return to my work in Rome.”
Pell had every faith in the court process.
Friends remained amazed as the drawn out process went on, at how relaxed the Cardinal remained.
When the case finally got to trial in the County Court Pell’s team relied on 10 key reasons that showed he couldn’t have offended.
They failed to completely convince an original jury, who were ultimately discharged after failing to reach a verdict.
Those same reasons failed too, to convince a second jury which ultimately convicted the Cardinal of each count at trial.
Even as the verdicts were read Pell’s demeanour barely wavered.
Others in the court appeared shocked, including his legal team, but sources say Pell had ultimate faith that the system would do him justice.
He faced another hurdle when the Victorian Court of Appeal dismissed his case with a 2-1 majority.
But even in that he found hope.
The dissenting judgment of Justice Mark Weinberg proving an ultimate road map to his High Court appeal.
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Despite the High Court win, Pell will always remain the most senior Catholic ever convicted of, and jailed for, such serious crimes.
The win will do nothing to change the public perception of a man who has divided opinion for a large part of his career.
His hard line conservative views on key social issues earned him notoriety.
He railed against contraception, genetic engineering, divorce and marriage equality.
As he climbed the ranks to become the public face of the Catholic Church in Australia, his detractors quickly outnumbered his supporters.
Pell knows nothing he says or does, or nothing a court does, will change that.
What lies ahead now remains unclear.
He has been keen to return to Rome, so he can say goodbye to friends and colleagues on his terms.
He retains Vatican voting rights until he is 80, meaning he will be called to help pick a new pope if required before then.
Other than that there will be likely no further role for Pell at the Vatican. He simply carries too much baggage.
In the short term, he wants to catch up with family and friends at home and overseas.
Sources say he will likely retire to Sydney, where he was also Archbishop, but lives a more anonymous life.
Despite his High Court win, there is no escaping Pell’s stunning fall from grace.
His supporters say it was a malicious witch hunt, while his detractors say he’s evaded justice.
All Pell ever wanted to do was to clear his name.
READ MORE:
ANDREW BOLT: OUR GREATEST MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE
JUSTIN QUILL: PELL DECISION DOESN’T MEAN HE’S INNOCENT