Commentary
Cardinal George Pell was a paradoxical figure. His life and work will give ammunition to those who admired him and those who hated him, as we see in the conflicting articles about him in the media.
While he rightly deserved criticism for his treatment of a number of victims of child abuse, he was the first Catholic leader in Australia to initiate a proper redress program for victims.
The Melbourne Response has been an influential model for Catholic and non-Catholic programs worldwide.
A boxer and footballer as a young man, he brought a confrontational and pugilistic personality into the public arena. But in person, he was honest, warm, caring, and genuinely interested in people….