Agronomist, get over yourself. Deal with the detail of the evidence, not your own posturing.

"It would indeed be a massive coincidence if everyone in the Catholic Church was deceiving George Pell about the activities of pedophile priests," you say.

"Everyone in the Catholic Church"? A few billion people? Has that ever been suggested? No. Would it ever be suggested? No.

Pell was a junior priest at the time. As he rose through the ranks, he argued, individuals kept information from him: Bishop Mulkearns, Archbishop Little, people running the Catholic Education Office.

Why is Pell supposed to be solely responsible, decades later, for the fact that many, many other people in more senior positions in the Catholic hierarchy at the time failed to deal with the information they had AS A MATTER OF FACT in relation to pedophiles within the Catholic church?

I can hear the bells of bigotry ringing loud and clear.

Why would you not hold to account the parents, non-pedophile teachers, priests, nuns and others who knew about these sex crimes AS A MATTER OF FACT yet did nothing?

Those were different times. So what have you done to expose female genital mutilation lately?

Do you think he is a moral leader? You are the one doing the blaming?
If other people think he is a moral leader and he fails to act according to what they expect then isn't that an issue between Pell and his followers? What has his moral failures got to do with you since you do not even acknowledge his moral authority.

He may be guilty of covering up child abuse and that is a crime but his moral leadership is only of relevance to his moral followers.It is not a crime to fail your moral leadership.

The only thing most should be concerned about are his crimes.

It sounds like you are disappointed at his moral failure. Why should you be.

Extraordinary the number of men who try to justify Pell's behaviour and support for many pedophiles in the catholic church.

"... the fact that many, many other people in more senior positions in the Catholic hierarchy at the time failed to deal with the information they had AS A MATTER OF FACT in relation to pedophiles within the Catholic church"

Posted by calwest, Monday, 7 March 11:08pm

Yes, the Catholic church is a wholy unethical organisation that fosters immorality among its people
.

MarilynS,

I've checked the posts again and I can't see one that attempts to "justify Pell's behaviour" nor any action on Pell's behalf which supported "many pedophiles in the catholic church".

So would you like to nominate examples?

One of the major problems with this issue is that bigots make wild generalisations to suit their own agendas, then act as though those generalised accusations were matters of fact. It's a convenient cover for pre-existing prejudice.

So be specific, please.

It is anhistorical to accuse Pell of actions (or lack of action) 40 years ago which were socially and culturally different from the way those actions are seen today. Pell has admitted that, in retrospect, he should have done more. But that's almost certainly not the way he or many others would have seen them at the time.

And one more question: why is it only George Pell who is being held accountable for what many others - Bishop Mulkearns, Archbishop Little, various people in the Catholic Education Office, police, parents - did or did not do to bring the relatively small number of pedophiles to justice? That is what smacks of bigotry.

Very relevant item on A Current Affair tonight about Sarah Monahan's experience with Robert Hughes's child abuse 30 years ago on the set of Hey Dad.

Different world. Hughes was protected by station executives, parents and others. And police did nothing, even when offences were reported.

Hilarious, isn't it? Not. Congratulations to Sarah and the numerous other brave girls and young women who came forward to support the prosecution.

As several people, including Sarah Monahan, have made the point, the culture was very different back then. But, of course, that was only 30 years ago.

I'm looking forward to the explanations of how that was entirely George Pell's fault.