Tuesday 16th of April 2024

the wages of spin .....

the wages of spin .....

"As former Archbishop & speaking personally, I would want to say to Mr Ellis that we failed in many ways, some way inadvertently, in our moral and pastoral responsibilities to him. I want to acknowledge his suffering & the impact of this terrible affair on his life. As the then Archbishop, I have to take ultimate responsibility & this I do. At this end of this gruelling appearance for both of us at this royal commission, I want publicity to say sorry to him for the hurt caused him by the mistakes made, admitted by me & some of our archdiocesan personnel during the course of the Towards Healing process & litigation."

Cardinal George Pell publicly apologising to child sex abuse victim, Mr John Ellis, at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney

“I am really genuinely sorry that there is any suggestion ... that I or the government does not care for the most disadvantaged. As everyone who knows me knows, all of my life I have fought for & tried to help the most disadvantaged people in the community. And for there to be some suggestion that I have evil in my heart when it comes to the most disadvantaged people in the community is upsetting. But it’s more upsetting for those people in the community, so I want to make it perfectly clear to the community that if there is any suggestion that I don’t care about you or I have evil intent toward you, I want to say that couldn’t be further from the truth & I’m sorry for the hurt.”

Treasurer Joe Hockey apologising on radio 2GB for his “obviously insensitive” comments about poorer Australians, insisting he bears no “evil intent” toward the disadvantaged.