- Title: Vatican visitors welcome Cardinal Pell charges
- Date: 29th June 2017
- Summary: VATICAN (JUNE 29, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEDIA BY ST. PETER'S SQUARE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT ON GROUND BY ST. PETER'S SQUARE NUN LOOKING AT FLOWER ARRANGEMENT PEOPLE ENTERING ST. PETER'S SQUARE MASS IN PROGRESS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE PEOPLE ENTERING ST. PETER'S SQUARE POLICE ON GUARD POPE FRANCIS CONDUCTING MASS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE MEDIA AND VISITORS BY ST. PETER'S SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN TOURIST, GRAVE VAN VEENENDAAL, SAYING: "Well, there's been a lot of bad press about Pell in the Australian media. He's not very well liked and a lot of people are very angry that the Church in Australia didn't do enough to cover any of the sex abuse for many years. So, I guess it's good that something's finally happening about it in Australia. A lot of people were angry that Pell hadn't come back to Australia, he was staying away, he was in Rome. But yeah, so it's good that something's happening." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN TOURIST, JACKSON SUMMERS, SAYING: "I think hopefully justice is served to the cardinal for sex abuse and all of the crimes he's committed, I think it's a terrible act and he should pay the price for treason against the Church and against the people and against the religion." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN TOURIST, EMMA CHATHAM, SAYING: "I think it's a big deal and I think it's something that needs to be taken quite seriously and not something the Church can throw away and sweep under the rug. Something that needs to be taken seriously and I think a new pope, especially a younger pope, will probably be good for the Church and something that will enlighten the younger generations." (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES TOURIST, SARAH DWERLKOTTE, SAYING: "I think Pope Francis is a good pope, I like him a lot. I think that maybe he's young enough and he's fun enough that he could make it a problem that we can fix and make it fast and address it quickly and fix it within a few years hopefully." CROWDS WALKING NEAR ST. PETER'S SQUARE PEOPLE IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE STATUE MEDIA BY ST. PETER'S SQUARE VARIOUS OF SIGN FOR VATICAN PRESS OFFICES PEOPLE WALKING PAST VATICAN PRESS OFFICES ST. PETER'S SEEN THROUGH ARCHWAY
- Embargoed: 13th July 2017 11:09
- Keywords: Cardinal Pell statement Vatican tourists Australia sex abuse Pope Francis
- Location: VATICAN
- City: VATICAN
- Country: Vatican City
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016NBZIO7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Visitors to the Vatican on Thursday (June 29) said they hoped sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church would be tackled with a new resolve after a top papal adviser was charged with sex abuse crimes.
Australian police earlier on Thursday charged Cardinal George Pell with multiple historical sex crimes, bringing a worldwide abuse scandal to the heart of the Vatican. As Vatican economy minister, Pell is the highest-ranking Church official to face such accusations.
Tourists from Australia and the United States visiting the Vatican shortly after a news conference held by Pell at the Vatican press offices welcomed the latest development in the Pell case.
Pell told an Australian government inquiry into institutional child abuse last year that the Church had made "catastrophic" choices by refusing to believe abused children, shuffling abusive priests from parish to parish, and relying too heavily on the counsel of priests to solve the problem. But he angered victims by saying he was too ill to fly home, testifying instead from Rome. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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