State funeral for George Pell would be 'distressing' for abuse survivors, Daniel Andrews says

The Victorian premier has ruled out holding a state funeral or memorial service for Cardinal Pell.

Cardinal George Pell (right) was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. Source: AAP

Key Points

• Daniel Andrews says Victoria won't hold a state funeral or memorial service for George Pell.
• In 2018, Cardinal Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse offences while he was Archbishop of Melbourne.
• His conviction was overturned by the High Court on appeal in 2020.

This article contains references to child abuse.

Premier Daniel Andrews says there will not be a state funeral or memorial service in Victoria for Cardinal George Pell because it would be distressing for victim-survivors.

Cardinal Pell, the former archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney, died from heart complications in Vatican City, Rome on Tuesday following hip surgery.

The 81-year-old was the Vatican's top finance minister before leaving in 2017 to stand trial in Melbourne for child sexual abuse offences.

The following year, he was convicted 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.

Mr Andrews on Thursday confirmed there would not be a state funeral or memorial service for Cardinal Pell in Victoria.

"I couldn't think of anything that would be more distressing for victim-survivors than that," he told reporters.

A service for Cardinal Pell will be held at the Vatican in coming days and a funeral mass will follow at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. His body will be returned to Australia and buried in St Mary's crypt.

Pope Francis on Wednesday called Cardinal Pell a "faithful servant who, without vacillating, followed his Lord with perseverance even in the hour of trial".

The pontiff said he was grateful for Cardinal Pell's "coherent and committed" dedication to the Church.

Cardinal Pell became the Melbourne archbishop in 1996 and five years later took up the same role in Sydney.

At that time, a man claimed Cardinal Pell sexually abused him in 1962 when the accuser was an altar boy. The cleric denied the allegation and in 2003 became a cardinal in the Vatican.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott said Cardinal Pell's imprisonment had been a "modern form of crucifixion; reputationally at least a kind of living death".

But Melbourne solicitor Viv Waller, who represented Cardinal Pell's surviving accuser, said he would be remembered as "not adopting a very compassionate response to (abuse revelations) but instead being offensive about it and protecting the church".

Shine Lawyers, who represent the father of one of Cardinal Pell's accusers, said the legal claim against the Church and the cardinal's estate would continue.

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Anyone seeking information or support relating to sexual abuse can contact Bravehearts on 1800 272 831 or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380.