Australian church abuse victims return dismayed pope did not meet them

(Fromleft)DavidRidsdale,PeterBlenkironandAndrewCollinsspeaktothemediaattheendofameetingattheGregorianaUniversityinRome.PHOTO:REUTERS

(REUTERS) AustralianvictimsofchildsexabuseintheRomanCatholicChurchreturnedhomeonSunday(March7)disappointedtheydidnotmeetPopeFrancisandangrywiththeevidenceaseniorVaticanofficialgavetoaninquiryinvestigatingtheabuse.

TheVaticansaiditdidnotgrantameetingwiththegroupofabout15abusevictimsbecausetheyhadnotmadetheirrequestthroughtheproperchannelswhiletheywereinRometoobserveCardinalGeorgePelltestify.

Pell,whoisnowtheVatican'streasurer,becamethehighestrankingVaticanofficialtogivetestimonyontheissueofsystemicabusewithinthechurch.HisevidencetotheAustralianRoyalCommissionintoInstitutionalResponsestoChildSexAbuseoncasesinvolvinghundredsofchildreninAustraliafromthe1960stothe1990shastakenonwiderimplicationsabouttheaccountabilityofchurchleaders.

"Thesimplefactisit'sthepope'sloss,"abusesurvivorDavidRidsdaletoldreportersatMelbourneairportregardingthelackofameeting,accordingtotheAustralianAssociatedPress."Hemissesout.It'snotourloss."

RidsdaleandtheothersurvivorshadtravelledtoRometoobservePellgiveevidenceviavideolinkafteraheartconditionstoppedthecardinaltravellingtoSydney.

Ridsdale,whowasabusedasachildbyhispriestuncle,GeraldRidsdale,saidthevictimsfaxedtheirrequesttothePrefectureofthePapalHouseholdontheadviceofPell'sstaff.

Thecardinal,whoseheartconditionpreventedhimfromtravellingtoAustraliatoappear,wasspecificallyaskedabouthisknowledgeofpaedophilepriestsactiveintheVictoriancityofBallaratandsurroundingregions.ThatincludedRidsdale,whowasconvictedof138offencesagainstmorethan50childreninAustralia.

WhilevictimsgroupshaverejectedPell'sresponsesasinadequate,VaticanchiefspokesmanFedericoLombardireleasedastatementsupportingthecardinal.

"CardinalPellmustbeaccordedtheappropriateacknowledgementforhisdignifiedandcoherentpersonaltestimony-20hoursofdialoguewiththeRoyalCommission-fromwhichyetagainthereemergesanobjectiveandlucidpictureoftheerrorscommittedinmanyecclesialenvironments,thistimeinAustralia,duringthepastdecades,"LombardisaidinastatementpostedontheVaticanwebsite.

PelltoldtheinquirythattheChurchhadmade"enormousmistakes"and"catastrophic"choicesbyrefusingtobelieveabusedchildren,shufflingabusivepriestsfromparishtoparishandover-relyingonthecounsellingofprieststosolvetheproblem.