Cardinal George Pell sentencing could be start of something cataclysmic for Catholic church

Can things get any worse for the Roman Catholic church following the jailing of Cardinal George Pell? The answer is yes.

Pope Benedict XVI, left, and Cardinal George Pell bless the faithful during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's square at the Vatican in 2005.

Can things get any worse for the Roman Catholic church following the jailing of Cardinal Pell? The answer is yes.

First, there will be a canonical inquiry held by the Vatican into Pell’s past, which could lead to his defrocking. It will remind the world how the church often has to play catch-up after civil judges weed out its sex offenders.

The Vatican has said that it will withhold judgment on Pell until his appeal is heard in June, meaning that he will stay on the college of cardinals until then, even though he is banned from ministry.

Whichever way the Vatican investigation goes, the Pope cannot win. Robert Mickens, English language editor for La Croix International, the Catholic daily newspaper, said: “If the canonical process finds him innocent it will be a PR disaster for the church. But if they defrock him it will make Francis’s conservative foes, for whom Pell is a champion, even more furious. They will say the Pope has caved in to a kangaroo court that scapegoated Pell.”

If Pell does win on appeal victims of abuse are likely to come after him in court for covering up abuse committed by other priests.

Cardinal George Pell in The Vatican in 2012.

That could coincide with an avalanche of scandals about prelates covering up for rapist priests, making Pell’s conviction pale by comparison. Last week a French court gave a six-month suspended sentence to Cardinal Philippe Barbarin for covering up allegations of sexual abuse of Scouts by a priest in the 1980s and early 1990s. Vatican staff were reportedly angry that the Pope issued no statement about the sentence.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, head of the US bishops’ conference, is also accused of covering up abuse.

“The Vatican is still in denial about cover-ups but the French ruling could start a domino effect, with cover-ups of abuse becoming the real scandal in the Church,’’ Mr Mickens said.

“This could be the start of something cataclysmic for the church.”

At a summit for bishops at the Vatican last month the Pope said: “The church will never seek to hush up or not take seriously any case.”

THE TIMES