Is Cardinal Pell the Quintessential Scapegoat?

[Tis_Bearself]

Thank you for the information on your fine country, Roseeurekacross! I visited when I was 10 but the long flight from Vancouver puts me off from returning. (I really liked the long flight back then, now not so much )

Yeah I love Australia. We had our honeymoon there back in the 90s, for a month. Saw mostly the southern cities and Sydney. I remember praying in the Sydney and Melbourne cathedrals. We finished up on Kangaroo Island. I didn’t want to go home at the end, I cried the day we left. One day I’ll go back and also see New Zealand.

 

[Rau]

So it begins.
The demonization of the victims and the law keepers.

What causes you to say that? Where in the above posts, including the linked article, do you see demonization of victims and law keepers?

 

[ctb95]

Innocent until proven guilty is of course the case. But it’s also a legal fiction we utilize in jurisprudence to ensure the victim is treated fairly in that arena. We never truly know if the accused is truly innocent or not regardless of the legal outcome. Only God and the parties know that. And in sexual assault cases this can be much more true than most. As a victim of a sexual assult that went unpunished myself, this I can assure you.

I’m sorry to hear about what happened to you.

 

[Rau]

Do you have just one example of this?
Or…are you yourself already judging the media and Australian people?
And why only the “left wing” media? Aren’t any “right wing” people quick to judge others regarding innocence or guilt?

If peebo speculates about what a section of the media will do because it is “left leaning”, then I’d reject that too.

The media (journalists at large) is substantially left leaning in Australia. The media at large takes a sensationalizing approach to news - it presents it as entertainment. It needs to be gripping. Tall poppies tend to be enthusiastically targeted. The media in Australia hasn’t declared Pell guilty but certainly portrays him in a poor light, and clearly favors the worst interpretation of events - as that makes for the most gripping news.

There is also a conservative media - or specific journalists. The one I know who has written on the Pell allegations is Gerard Henderson. His approach has been to examine the allegations (to the extent they’re known) and identify its weaknesses. It is a valuable counterpoint. But many people tend to form their view based on the less tangible feelings rather than established facts (of which there are currently very few) which the media at large feed.

That’s my observation of what is actually happening.

 

[Lion_IRC]

see catholicworldreport.com/2017/07/06/is-cardinal-pell-the-quintessential-scape-goat/

This article is on the present situation of Catholicism in Australia, and Cardinal Pell’s place in it.

Cardinal Pell is the most famous Australian Catholic, and a key figure in shaping what Catholicism in his country is today.

Cardinal Pell’s prosecution under the law is, one way or another, a turning point in the history of Catholicism in Australia. (And his trial will undoubtedly receive enormous worldwide attention.)

Yes, I believe there is something of an anti-church, lynch mob mentality going on.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Yeah I love Australia. We had our honeymoon there back in the 90s, for a month. Saw mostly the southern cities and Sydney. I remember praying in the Sydney and Melbourne cathedrals. We finished up on Kangaroo Island. I didn’t want to go home at the end, I cried the day we left. One day I’ll go back and also see New Zealand.

NZ is awesome, esp the two glaciers on the South Island and Christchurch churches.

 

[abucs]

1. Certainly, but innocent until proved guilty. What if he did not commit these crimes?
2. Aren’t we are awfully close to stereotyping here?
3. Don’t ask that the Anglican/Episcopalian communion be subject to Catholic-level scrutiny.

Just on the third point there. While the secular media do go after the Catholic church hierarchy with the most unbridled vigour they also do believe they have a right to unfairly hound Anglicans as well.

Archbishop Hollingworth (Anglican) was chosen to be our Governor General which is the representative of the Queen and technically the highest office in the land, although in reality he/she has little to do with daily power except sign bills. The secular media went after him day and night and coming at a time (like the US) when the secular media was unchallenged and had much more sway with citizens, they forced a good man to resign, basically because these secular militants didn’t want a religious man as the top official, even if it is mostly ceremonial.

They also went after Tony Abbott, the open and proud Catholic prime Minister in an absolutely disgustingly biased way until they got his party to dump a sitting prime minister for a leader much more in tune with their secular religion.

The ridiculous hounding of Donald Trump is nothing more than what they did with our Prime Minister Tony Abbott which is one reason I usually rush in to defend your president.

These media people have real world affects on politics and yet claim they shouldn’t be criticised.

Thank God those days are gone and the traditional biased Left media’s days are numbered.

Former Prime Minister speaking about the Archbishop.

Archbishop’s brother on hate of the media.

Left and Right come together to criticise the chattering media class and identity politics.

 

[Rau]

…They also went after Tony Abbott, the open and proud Catholic prime Minister in an absolutely disgustingly biased way until they got his party to dump a sitting prime minister for a leader much more in tune with their secular religion.

The ridiculous hounding of Donald Trump is nothing more than what they did with our Prime Minister Tony Abbott which is one reason I usually rush in to defend your president.

To be fair abucs, Tony Abbott earned the disrespect of the media as he did the population, and through means having nothing to do with faith. He pursued policies which the voter did not want and he lost their confidence as a competent leader. I’d also suggest that most instances of “hounding” that Don Trump experiences have also been earned by his own actions.