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VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Australian cardinal who decried the papacy of Pope Francis arsenic a “catastrophe” was fixed a ceremonial Saturday and hailed by immoderate chap churchmen astatine St. Peter’s Basilica, with the pontiff imparting a last blessing for the erstwhile high-ranking Vatican prelate.
Cardinal George Pell, 81, died connected Jan. 10, soon aft undergoing hep country successful a Rome hospital. As the Vatican’s concern curate for 3 years, Pell had been a cardinal player successful the aboriginal years of Francis’ papacy, whose goals included reforming the Holy See’s finances, which had a agelong past of scandals and mediocre management.
Pell aboriginal returned to his autochthonal Australia to beryllium tried connected kid enactment maltreatment charges implicit allegations that helium molested 2 choirboys portion helium was archbishop of Melbourne. He served much than a twelvemonth successful solitary confinement successful situation earlier an earlier tribunal condemnation was overturned successful 2020.
Pell had steadfastly proclaimed his innocence.
As is customary for funerals of cardinals, a last blessing, delivered successful Latin, successful the signifier of a supplication for mercy and eternal rest, was recited by Francis, who, successful a wheelchair, passed by Pell’s plain woody coffin.
The ceremonial Mass itself was celebrated by an Italian cardinal, Giovanni Battista Re, successful his relation arsenic Dean of the College of Cardinals.
Re praised Pell arsenic a “man of God and antheral of the Church,″ who was distinguished for ”a heavy religion and large solidity of doctrine, which helium ever defended without wavering and with courage.”
“As helium noted galore times, helium was pained by the weakening of religion successful the Western satellite and the motivation situation of the family,″ Re said successful his homily.
Re noted however 9 days earlier, Pell, “apparently successful bully health,” had concelebrated, successful St. Peter’s Square, the ceremonial Mass for Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who died aft astir a decennary successful status connected Dec. 31.
Right aft Pell’s death, it was revealed that the Australian churchman had authored the memo that had been circulating for galore months successful religion circles. In the memo, Pell had lamented that the existent papacy arsenic a “disaster” and a “catastrophe.”
Separately, the time aft Pell died, a blimpish mag published what it said was an nonfiction by the cardinal decrying arsenic a “toxic nightmare” Francis’ determination to dependable retired Catholic laity connected specified issues arsenic religion teaching connected sexuality and the relation of women. Those issues volition apt spark crisp statement aboriginal this twelvemonth successful a gathering of bishops from astir the satellite summoned by Francis to the Vatican.
The time aft Pell died, Francis successful a condolence telegram paid tribute to the cardinal, saying that portion the prelate led the system office, “he laid the bases with determination and wisdom” for reforms of the Holy See’s concern system, which had been taken to task for years by planetary fiscal watchdog bodies.
In the homily, Cardinal Re lamented that Pell’s last years had been “marked by an unjust and achy conviction.”
“It was an acquisition of large suffering sustained with religion successful the judgement of God,” Re said.
The cardinal cited the diaries Pell wrote portion successful situation “with the purpose of making known however overmuch religion and supplication assistance successful the hard moments of beingness and (how they can) besides beryllium a enactment to who indispensable unjustly suffer.”
Among the concelebrants astatine the altar connected Saturday was different high-profile Vatican prelate who successful caller days had blasted Francis’ enactment of the Roman Catholic Church. German Archbishop Georg Gaenswein — similar Pell a staunch advocator of the religion hierarchy’s much blimpish faction and a longtime adjutant of Pope Benedict XVI — bitterly complained astir however helium was treated by Francis aft Benedict retired successful 2013 and Francis was elected arsenic pontiff.
Gaenswein unleashed a torrent of disapproval of Francis successful interviews hours aft Benedict’s decease successful a monastery connected the Vatican grounds, wherever the retired pontiff had lived retired his past twelvemonth and successful a publication published days later.
Another staunchly blimpish German churchman, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, told The Associated Press aft attending Pell’s ceremonial that the Australian cardinal near “a large legacy” including connected bearing one’s suffering.
“Now helium is successful afloat redemption” aft death, said Mueller, who was dismissed by Francis aft a little word arsenic the Vatican’s main of its doctrinal orthodoxy office.
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Luigi Navarra contributed to this report.
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