Gasps as Vatican cardinal says abuse claims ‘of little interest’ – and pope backs him

Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell insisted he has the “full backing” of Pope Francis as he told an inquiry on Tuesday that abuse claims against Australia’s most notorious paedophile priest were not “of much interest” to him. Pell was giving evidence from a hotel in Rome via video-link to Australia’s Royal Commission into systemic child abuse involving the church for a second of three days. The commission picked up where it left off with intense questioning about priest Gerald Ridsdale, convicted of more than 100 charges of sexual abuse against children, and the number of times he was moved between parishes around Victoria state in the 1970s and 80s.

I couldn’t say that I ever knew that everyone knew. I didn’t know whether it was common knowledge or whether it wasn’t. It’s a sad story and it wasn’t of much interest to me.

Cardinal George Pell, dismissing talk of priest Gerald Risdale’s abuse of children

Pell, who once shared a home with Ridsdale in Ballarat, was probed about a police report that the priest was interfering with children while in nearby Inglewood. The commission suggested Ridsdale’s offending was common knowledge within the church, but Pell insisted it was never brought to his attention and of little interest to him. The admission drew loud gasps of disbelief in the Sydney hearing room and Pell was asked to explain what he meant. "The suffering, of course, was real and I very much regret that but I had no reason to turn my mind to the extent of the evils that Ridsdale had perpetrated,“ he said.

I have the full backing of the Pope.

Cardinal Pell

George Pell