Protesters and mourners were involved in an ugly clash as the requiem mass for the late Cardinal George Pell got underway at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Thursday.
The sound of the protesters drowned out the funeral proceedings for those watching from the courtyard for about 10 minutes, as a planned march passed nearby.
A group of men yelled angrily at protesters and at police, telling them to move the rally on. There were reports police had dragged away one protester.
Marchers – many chanting “Pell, go to hell” – had gathered in nearby Hyde Park on after an 11th-hour agreement with NSW Police allowed their planned rally to be held at the same time as the funeral.
NSW Police riot squad officers outside the cathedral acted as a buffer between mourners and protesters.
Police had objected to the March, led by LGBT group Community Action for Rainbow Rights, due to safety concerns about the route, but the dispute was resolved in the Supreme Court late Wednesday.
Cardinal Pell’s handling of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers, and his stance on homosexuality and abortion angered many.
Cardinal Pell served 406 days of a six-year sentence for child sexual abuse but always maintained his innocence. The conviction was overturned by the High Court in 2020.
As well as anger at Cardinal Pell, the protesters also voiced outrage at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s attendance, amending their chant to “George Pell go to hell, take Dutton there as well”.
Protester Catherine Addington told the ABC she felt “sad, angry and outraged”.
“If Jesus was here today, he’d be over there with the rainbow people, he would not be [in the cathedral] with the hypocrites honouring a man with a very, very concerning legacy.”
Cardinal Pell, the former Catholic archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney, will be laid to rest after the requiem mass on Thursday, following his death in Rome last month at 81.
Former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott joined Mr Dutton among the mourners.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns all declined to attend Thursday’s service for the controversial figure.
Ribbons removed
Earlier, thousands of colourful ribbons attached to the cathedral’s gates in memory of those who suffered sexual abuse by clergy were removed overnight.
As part of its conditions for permission to protest, CARR agreed not to march on College Street directly next to the cathedral, but was allowed to gather on the other side of the road, within earshot of mourners.
Tensions flared briefly about 9am on Thursday when several mourners tried to remove ribbons tied to a small area of cathedral fence where the Church had allowed them to be tied.
“What was meant to be an act of healing has become an act of destruction,” said Loud Fence, a supporter of the ribbon movement.
Theresa Guzzo, who flew from New Zealand to attend the service, said she was against the presence of protesters at the funeral and felt Cardinal Pell had become a “scapegoat” for animosity towards the Church.
“For me it’s just inappropriate to do your protesting at the funeral where we’re saying goodbye to him, no matter what your belief is,” Ms Guzzo said.
She said she initially “strongly” believed allegations of child abuse against Cardinal Pell, but no longer did after he was cleared by the Federal Court and she reviewed the evidence.
Another mourner, who asked not to be named, said she understood the protesters’ feelings and called for mutual respect.
“Respect has to go two ways,” she said.
“If people are grieving then you have to honour the deep anguish and sorrow that people may be experiencing.
“But then there’s a different kind of anguish and sorrow potentially on the other side of the road, and so it’s a difficult line to walk.”
Cardinal Pell’s conservative stance on issues including gay marriage and abortion rights had been the subject of criticism, and he faced allegations of covering up child abuse.
He was the Vatican’s top finance minister before leaving Rome in 2017 to stand trial in Melbourne on child sexual abuse offences.
Cardinal Pell was convicted the following year of molesting two teenage choirboys in the sacristy of Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral while archbishop in 1996.
He maintained his innocence and in 2020 his convictions were quashed by the High Court.
– With AAP
