Sarah

“People would think that clergy would plead guilty and would do all they could to minimise the stress and pain for the victim. But the Church will hire the best lawyers, barristers and even QCs to defend the abusers ... The victims are cross-examined as if they are on trial. The victims have to recount every detail of the abuse, and then are called liars.' (Sexual Abuse survivor Andrew Collins quoted on p.364)”
― Louise Milligan, Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell

“I can testify from my own experience the Church covers up, silences victims, hinders police investigations, alerts offenders, destroys evidence and moves priests to protect the good name of the Church. (Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy, quoted on p.124)”
― Louise Milligan, Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell

“When the issue came to light, I naively expected that the Church would care about the discontentment of many of the school parents,' [St. Patrick's Mentone school parent Andrea] Wilkins said. 'That they would listen and help us. It didn't take long to realise that they'd rather all of the "disruptive" parents and their children just left the schools rather than doing the right thing. How dare we challenge them? The whole experience made it loud and clear that their priority is with themselves and not the children we entrust to them.' (p.269)”
― Louise Milligan, Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell

“Pell is unable to project a convincing sense of compassion, reform and healing. ... Pell looms as a huge liability in the institutional crisis ow facing the Catholic Church in Australia. (The Australian journalist Paul Kelly, quoted on p.125)”
― Louise Milligan, Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell