The Facts
Cardinal George Pell, who served as Archbishop of both Melbourne and Sydney before becoming the treasurer of the Vatican, died on Tuesday at age 81 after heart complications following hip surgery, according to Church officials.
Pell — Australia's most senior Catholic — was convicted in 2018 of sexual abuse while he was archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. After 13 months in prison, Pell's convictions were acquitted in 2020 by a unanimous decision in the Australian high court.
The Spin
Narrative A
Pell was a champion for orthodox Catholicism in an age of liberalism and survived the painful story of being cleared of crimes he was found to have never committed. The victim of outrageous injustice, Pell's spiritual poise and strength throughout his legal ordeals show his true character. While abuse found within the Church should be rightly exposed, Pell's conviction was a miscarriage of justice.
Narrative B
After Pell's name was mired with accusations and charges, it's difficult to judge the truth surrounding allegations about him. However, at best, the Cardinal failed to uncover some of the worst cases of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church's history — a controversy that will taint his legacy, regardless of any good he achieved.
