Hundreds gather as Melbourne farewells late Cardinal George Pell
Like many men of the cloth, George Pell often seemed to lack a permanent home. He loved Sydney, came from Ballarat and worked in Rome. Friday was Melbourne’s turn to say farewell.
Like many men of the cloth, George Pell often seemed to lack a permanent home. He loved Sydney but his supporters in Ballarat might argue the Victorian city was where he belonged.
With Pell a frequent flyer to The Vatican, Rome was also hard to argue against as a place for him to rest, but on Friday night it was Melbourne’s turn to farewell the late cardinal.
His friend and Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli described the late cardinal’s path to the mass for the repose of his soul as a long journey.
“It has been a journey even in death for own former archbishop,” he said.
Unlike the Pell funeral in Sydney on Thursday, this was a farewell for what loosely can be described as the mums and dads of his former home town.
Hundreds gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
The grand church was graced by scores of clergy as well.
But they came largely from the suburbs to honour the seventh archbishop of Melbourne, a man who embraced controversy.
Monsignor Charles Portelli, who for a long time stood by Pell’s side, spoke of his achievements and the triumph over incarceration.
Monsignor Portelli was invariably by his side in 1996 and 1997 when Pell’s offending was alleged to have occurred.
“As with his whole life, he remained steadfast with his faith,” he said.
Outside the cathedral, opposition to the late cardinal was modest, waves of ribbons in honour of the dead and the abuse survivor community.
In many ways, this event was very Melbourne, the reverse of the spotlight that was focused on Sydney’s St Mary’s.
Archbishop Comensoli also spoke of Pell’s quiet work at David’s Place in Surry Hills in Sydney, a retreat for the homeless and marginalised.
“At David’s Place he was generally known as George,” he said.
“They knew him simply as a kind-hearted man.”
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