The funeral mass for the controversial Australian cardinal George Pell was held at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, accompanied by a large police presence and accompanied by protests. Pell, who died in Rome three weeks ago, was the highest-ranking minister in the history of the Catholic Church to be convicted of child molestation. In 2020, however, he was acquitted on appeal after around 13 months in prison and released from prison.
Thousands flocked to the church on Thursday to say goodbye, according to media reports. Many watched the Requiem on screens in front of the cathedral. “Even after he was unanimously exonerated by the High Court, some continued to demonize him,” said Archbishop Anthony Fisher, who celebrated the Mass. However, Pell left a great legacy and was the “most influential churchman in the history of the nation”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Regional Premier Dominic Perrottet did not attend the Mass. The Australian government ruled out a state funeral shortly after Pell’s death.
Emergency services set up a buffer zone between mourners and protesters. “We’re not here to cause trouble, we’re here to draw attention to the abuse, that’s all,” a protester told AAP news agency. The organizer of the rally stated that the participants would follow the instructions of the police. “We want a strong, loud, vibrant and visible rally to confront everything that Pell stood for,” he said. The cardinal has also been criticized for his conservative stance on issues such as gay marriage and abortion rights.
His coffin was laid out in the cathedral on Wednesday. Since then, numerous people have attached colorful ribbons to a fence in memory of victims of abuse. Mourners reportedly tried to tear them down. There was tension for a short time.
Pell, number three in the Vatican for years, died at the age of 81 after routine surgery. After the requiem he was to be buried in the crypt of the cathedral.
