Part Two: Cardinal George Pell: Paedophile and/or 'Just','Simply' 'Accomplice in the Act'?
Today (Part 2a): Laying all my own cards out on the table: Where am I coming from?
So what brings me to my own summation of the saga that is the criminal indictment and subsequent prosecution and imprisonment of Cardinal George Pell? A pertinent question, especially as I've never met the man, and, even during the *two-and-a-half plus years I spent in Oz (ever so briefly in 1988/1989; and straddling parts of 1990, 1991, 1998 and 1999), I'd never ever heard of him (best to my recollection) - whether as a cardinal or simply a bishop (etc). And thus I'd 'merely' (what can generally only be considered somewhat to highly subjective) media accounts/reports/analyses/ commentary to go by. Yes indeed.
Well, let's lay all my cards out on the table to begin with, and so a number of personal disclaimers are doubtless in order. For starters, I've never ever been sexually abused **as such.
*Two-and-two-thirds' years in toto (when including a holiday prior to moving there), pretty much the same period all up as I spent sojourning in the land of my parents from mid-1992 through mid-1995.
**Which I well realize is qualified in such a way as to perhaps raise more questions than it answers. Suffice to say that in one's childhood things can occur which, while not strictly categorizable as ***/****abuse as such, can hardly really be termed consensual (given one's age and personal maturity), and which, at the same time, are arguably ultimately detrimental to one, leaving a lasting impression in more ways than one and thereby/otherwise majorly impacting one's life journey in more ways than one can readily recount - or, quite frankly, would ever wish to.
Let's just add that parental inattention and effective neglect has more to answer for in this life and world than many realize - and are far from trivial shortcomings when all is said and done...
All that having been well and truly said/placed upon the record, in this case a genuine as apology was offered/tendered (at least once or twice, and maybe even three times all up - and over a number of years, best I can recall); and done completely unprompted/'off the bat'/without any reminder thereof or arm-twisting on my part. And indeed I was not only completely taken aback and blown away (by the person's honesty thereabouts, and moreover courage to confess however much 'after the fact'), but by the individual's preparedness to take complete responsibility/culpability, not pleading any extenuating circumstances thereabouts or excuses whatsoever...
***Physical abuse is a different matter altogether. Indeed I suffered thus (on several identical occasions as to the surrounding events) and in a particularly cruel, even sadistic manner...as, admittedly, most of my other siblings have themselves spoken of experiencing from said individual (though, far as I'm aware, anyway, never once in a sexually abusive fashion). But without scarring let alone lasting (physical) damage, as indeed I did sustain (upon my upper left thigh) - and still show the long scar thereabouts - as per ye average youngster's (especially boy's) multitude of physical scars occurring from ye normal rough-and-tumble play...but without the regular allotment of broken bones.
Though in another completely different instance, another family member's physicality could well have led to major, long-term injury of a most serious kind...and, gratefully, that was also something about which I later heard (occasionally prompted by Yours Truly) genuine contrition thereabouts...
Though even then I hardly suffered in the ways (and not remotely to the extent) many doubtless do.
****But as for psychological abuse, well let's just say that's another matter entirely, and I did indeed suffer thus and from a number/variety of authority figures who verily abused that authority over me by so doing, but - hopefully/seemingly, at least in the long run - not irremediably or irreparably...
Today (Part 2a): Laying all my own cards out on the table: Where am I coming from?
So what brings me to my own summation of the saga that is the criminal indictment and subsequent prosecution and imprisonment of Cardinal George Pell? A pertinent question, especially as I've never met the man, and, even during the *two-and-a-half plus years I spent in Oz (ever so briefly in 1988/1989; and straddling parts of 1990, 1991, 1998 and 1999), I'd never ever heard of him (best to my recollection) - whether as a cardinal or simply a bishop (etc). And thus I'd 'merely' (what can generally only be considered somewhat to highly subjective) media accounts/reports/analyses/ commentary to go by. Yes indeed.
Well, let's lay all my cards out on the table to begin with, and so a number of personal disclaimers are doubtless in order. For starters, I've never ever been sexually abused **as such.
*Two-and-two-thirds' years in toto (when including a holiday prior to moving there), pretty much the same period all up as I spent sojourning in the land of my parents from mid-1992 through mid-1995.
**Which I well realize is qualified in such a way as to perhaps raise more questions than it answers. Suffice to say that in one's childhood things can occur which, while not strictly categorizable as ***/****abuse as such, can hardly really be termed consensual (given one's age and personal maturity), and which, at the same time, are arguably ultimately detrimental to one, leaving a lasting impression in more ways than one and thereby/otherwise majorly impacting one's life journey in more ways than one can readily recount - or, quite frankly, would ever wish to.
Let's just add that parental inattention and effective neglect has more to answer for in this life and world than many realize - and are far from trivial shortcomings when all is said and done...
All that having been well and truly said/placed upon the record, in this case a genuine as apology was offered/tendered (at least once or twice, and maybe even three times all up - and over a number of years, best I can recall); and done completely unprompted/'off the bat'/without any reminder thereof or arm-twisting on my part. And indeed I was not only completely taken aback and blown away (by the person's honesty thereabouts, and moreover courage to confess however much 'after the fact'), but by the individual's preparedness to take complete responsibility/culpability, not pleading any extenuating circumstances thereabouts or excuses whatsoever...
***Physical abuse is a different matter altogether. Indeed I suffered thus (on several identical occasions as to the surrounding events) and in a particularly cruel, even sadistic manner...as, admittedly, most of my other siblings have themselves spoken of experiencing from said individual (though, far as I'm aware, anyway, never once in a sexually abusive fashion). But without scarring let alone lasting (physical) damage, as indeed I did sustain (upon my upper left thigh) - and still show the long scar thereabouts - as per ye average youngster's (especially boy's) multitude of physical scars occurring from ye normal rough-and-tumble play...but without the regular allotment of broken bones.
Though in another completely different instance, another family member's physicality could well have led to major, long-term injury of a most serious kind...and, gratefully, that was also something about which I later heard (occasionally prompted by Yours Truly) genuine contrition thereabouts...
Though even then I hardly suffered in the ways (and not remotely to the extent) many doubtless do.
****But as for psychological abuse, well let's just say that's another matter entirely, and I did indeed suffer thus and from a number/variety of authority figures who verily abused that authority over me by so doing, but - hopefully/seemingly, at least in the long run - not irremediably or irreparably...
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