To respect victims of child sexual abuse no state funeral for Cardinal Pell

On Jan 14, 2023

Cardinal George Pell of Sydney leaves a meeting of cardinals with Pope Francis in the synod hall at the Vatican Feb. 20. The Vatican announced Feb. 24 that Cardinal Pell has been appointed by Pope Francis to head a new Vatican office overseeing Vatican finances. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) (Feb. 24, 2014) See POPE-ECONOMY Feb. 24, 2014.

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – There will be no state funeral for Cardinal George Pell, the former Archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne, who has died aged 81.

He is to be buried in the crypt at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney alongside other senior figures from the Catholic church in Australia.

Pell spent 13 months in prison after being convicted of molesting two choir boys while he was archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.

He always denied the charges and his convictions were quashed in 2020.

Speaking in Melbourne, Daniel Andrews, premier of the state of Victoria, said his decision not to offer a memorial service or state funeral was made out of respect for victims of institutional child sexual abuse.

The premier of New South Wales, Dominic Perrottet, has also ruled out a state funeral but says there will be a memorial service arranged by the archdiocese.