the main points
- Funeral services were organized by the Vatican.
- He will be buried in the crypt at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where he served as Archbishop.
- Pope Francis recited a final blessing in Latin.
Cardinal George Pell, the oldest Australian member of the Catholic Church, died at the age of 81, on January 10, shortly after undergoing hip surgery in a Rome hospital.
Immediately after Cardinal Pell’s death, the Cardinal is revealed to be the owner of a note that has been circulating for months. In the note, he lamented that the current papacy had been a “disaster” and a “disaster”.
Pope Francis next to Cardinal George Pell’s coffin during his funeral mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, on January 14, 2023. Source: aap / Environmental Protection Agency
Cardinal Pell’s funeral came nine days after he attended former Pope Benedict’s farewell party, where the Archbishop of Sydney, the Reverend Anthony Fisher, said he was “in sparkling form – intelligent and wise”.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet and Archbishop of Victoria Daniel Andrews have ruled out offering official services to the former Archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney.
Cardinal Pell later returned to his native Australia to stand trial for pedophilia over allegations that he molested a choirboy when he was Archbishop of Melbourne.
Cardinals and bishops at the funeral service for Australian Cardinal George Pell at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, on Saturday. Source: aap / Kick USA
He spent a year in solitary confinement before a previous court conviction was overturned in 2020.
Anyone seeking information or support regarding sexual assault can contact Bravehearts at 1-800-272-831 or Blue Knot at 1-300-657-380.
