Pope John Paul II also stated: "The Church must be a mirror of Justice." There is no justice when the statutes of limitations are lifted. The reason for the existence of the statutes of limitations is so that justice can be served and that the truth can be determined. There is also no justice when the accused is judged guilty by the media and people without due process of a trial. In our society, the person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Of course, this does not mean that the accusers are "liars", but we live in a democratic society that recognizes the presumption of innocence and the accused having a just and fair trial.
According to news report:
The Australian Catholic Church has spoken in support of Cardinal George Pell, emphasising his contribution to the church and warning against a trial by media in the wake of sex abuse charges.
In a statement released after Victoria Police confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged over historical sex abuse allegations, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne defended the 76-year-old's character.
Archbishop Denis Hart, who took over from Cardinal Pell as Archbishop of Melbourne in 2001, said he was "aware of the significance" of the decision to charge his predecessor but went on to highlight the work of the man who is Australia's most senior Catholic figure.
"Cardinal Pell has been a friend and brother priest of Archbishop Hart for more than 50 years," the statement read.
"The Archbishop is conscious of the Cardinal's many good works which have been acknowledged both nationally and internationally.
"It is a matter of public record that Cardinal Pell addressed the evil of sexual abuse in the Church on becoming Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.
"It is important all in society recognise that the presumption of innocence applies and that Cardinal Pell, like all Australians, is entitled to a fair trial."
Cardinal Pell served as Archbishop of Melbourne between 1996 to 2001, before becoming Archbishop of Sydney and subsequently the chief financial adviser to Pope Francis in the Vatican in 2014.
In a statement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Cardinal Pell vowed to return to Australia to "vigorously" defend himself against multiple charges of sex offences.
"Cardinal Pell will return to Australia, as soon as possible, to clear his name following advice and approval by his doctors who will also advise on his travel arrangements."
He will hold a press conference in Rome at the Holy See at 4.30pm AEST.
Cardinal Pell blamed poor health last year when he failed to return to Australia to testify at the child abuse royal commission in March, instead appearing via video link from Rome.
Victoria Police on Thursday confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons over multiple allegations against multiple victims and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 26 for a filing hearing.
Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed in a brief press conference that Cardinal Pell had been issued with multiple charges relating to historic sexual abuse allegations.
The charges were served on Cardinal Pell's legal representatives in Melbourne on Thursday, Mr Patton said.
News of the charges reached Rome about 2.30am local time.
Victorian government minister Martin Foley said the matter needed to be treated "very carefully" now that charges had been laid.
"We need to make sure that any person facing convictions or charges has the opportunity of a presumption of innocence," he said.
"If we want to make sure that the interests of survivors of sexual assault by churches and other institutions are dealt with fairly we need to let this process take its own course."
Mr Foley declined to comment on whether Cardinal Pell should return to Australia to face the charges.
Asked how the Catholic Church had generally responded to abuse, Mr Foley said it had a "sorry record it needs to overcome in this space".
"We can't prejudge any individual case. We need to make sure that anyone facing charges is given a presumption of innocence.
"But what we also need to do is make sure that we support those survivors."
FAITHNEWS
ReplyDeletePope Francis: I'm saddened by 'perfect' Catholics who despise others
Junno Arocho Esteves - Catholic News Service
August 09, 2017
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(CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano)
VATICAN CITY (CNS)—God did not choose perfect people to form his church, but rather sinners who have experienced his love and forgiveness, Pope Francis said.
The Gospel of Luke's account of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman shows how his actions went against the general mentality of his time, a way of thinking that saw a "clear separation" between the pure and impure, the pope said Aug. 9 during his weekly general audience.
"There were some scribes, those who believed they were perfect," the pope said. "And I think about so many Catholics who think they are perfect and scorn others. This is sad."
Continuing his series of audience talks about Christian hope, the pope reflected on Jesus' "scandalous gesture" of forgiving the sinful woman.
The woman, he said, was one of many poor women who were were visited secretly even by those who denounced them as sinful.
Although Jesus' love toward the sick and the marginalized "baffles his contemporaries," it reveals God's heart as the place where suffering men and women can find love, compassion and healing, Pope Francis said.
"How many people continue today in a wayward life because they find no one willing to look at them in a different way, with the eyes—or better yet—with the heart of God, meaning with hope," he said. But "Jesus sees the possibility of a resurrection even in those who have made so many wrong choices."
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Oftentimes, the pope continued, Christians become accustomed to having their sins forgiven and receiving God's unconditional love while forgetting the heavy price Jesus paid by dying on the cross.
By forgiving sinners, Jesus doesn't seek to free them from a guilty conscience, but rather offers "people who have made mistakes the hope of a new life, a life marked by love," the pope said.
The church is a people formed "of sinners who have experienced the mercy and forgiveness of God," Pope Francis said. Christians are "all poor sinners" who need God's mercy, "which strengthens us and gives us hope."Look at this beautiful saying that the pope said in his past general audience