Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Freethinker

Home
Nonreligious
Ex-jailbird praises ‘barbarian’ Trump as a ‘champion’ of Christianity

Ex-jailbird praises ‘barbarian’ Trump as a ‘champion’ of Christianity

Last updated on: December 20, 2020 at 5:05 pm by Barry Duke

Ex-jailbird praises ‘barbarian’ Trump as a ‘champion’ of Christianity 2020-12-20T17:05:37+02:00 Barry Duke

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

FAR-RIGHT news outlet, The Daily Caller – which adoringly supported Trump throughout his train-wreck of a presidency – smugly reported on Wednesday that Cardinal George Pell, above, had heaped praise on the POTUS for his ‘positive contribution’ to Christianity in America.

Pell, who spent 404 days in prison for sexual abuse before winning an appeal against his six year sentence, was quoted by TDC as saying:

I think [Trump’s] made some splendid appointments to the Supreme Court. He was a little bit unusual because he kept many of his promises. He brought some of the troops home, he didn’t enter into any wars, the economy kept rolling along.

TDC‘s Thomas Catenacci reported that Pell also commended Trump for attending the March for Life in January.

What TDC didn’t report was that Pell described Trump as a “barbarian, but in some important ways he’s our barbarian.”

Numerous mainstream outlets – including The Guardian – seized on the “barbarian” quote, and provided a more detailed account of Pell’s on-line press conference, held to promote his book, Prison Journal: Volume 1 – yours at a discount for just $16.96.

The Guardian reported that while Pell praised Donald Trump’s “splendid” Supreme Court appointments, he questioned his effort to sow doubt in the integrity of the US presidential election.

It’s no small thing to weaken trust in great public institutions.

Pell said Christians had an obligation to bring their values to the public sphere and said Trump had made a “positive contribution” – particularly with his three Supreme Court picks, two of whom are Catholic.

He added:

In other areas, I’m not sure that he’s been sufficiently respectful of the political process and it’s important that people believe they’re getting a fair go.

Pell left his job as prefect of the Vatican’s economy ministry in 2017 to face charges that he sexually molested two 13-year-old choir boys in the sacristy of the Melbourne cathedral in 1996. After a first jury deadlocked, a second unanimously convicted him and he was sentenced to six years in prison.

The conviction was upheld on appeal only to be thrown out by Australia’s high court, which in April unanimously found there was reasonable doubt in the testimony of his lone accuser.

Pell again suggested there was evidence – but not proof – that his prosecution was related to his work trying to reform the Vatican’s murky finances. Pell ran into stiff resistance from the Vatican’s Italian old guard during the three years he tried to impose international financial transparency, budgeting and accounting standards on the Holy See bureaucracy.

He repeated unsubstantiated and unsourced Italian media reports suggesting that money was sent from the Vatican to Australia to influence his prosecution.

I myself am quite confident that money did go from Rome to Australia about that time, but I’ve got no proof about where that finished up.

Pell said he had no intention of seeking damages from the Australian government for his incarceration and said he intended to split his time between Sydney and the Vatican, where he said he has met with many of his old collaborators and friends since returning this fall, including emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

Pell said he believed Benedict should be made a “Doctor of the Church” one day to recognise his contributions to Catholic teaching. (Ratzinger would first have to fall off his perch and be made a saint before a doctorate can be bestowed on him.)

He also said the Vatican must quickly adopt regulations governing resignations of future popes. It was a reference to the unprecedented situation of having two popes living in the Vatican, with Benedict “still a point of reference for traditionalists nostalgic for his doctrinaire papacy.”

Surprisingly he also alluded to the RCC biggest problem: it’s abject failure to get to grips with its abuse within its ranks.

According to Religion News Service, Pell said that in order for people to better appreciate the church and its teachings, it will have to combat sexual abuse, which he called “a solemn obligation.”

There is certainly evil at the heart of the pedophilia crisis and amongst the people who have abused and damaged these young people so very badly.

• Please report any typos/errors to [email protected]

If you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee – and boy, do I get through a LOT of coffee keeping this site active – please click the link below.

I’d love a cup of coffee

Previous Post

December 19, 2020

High flying 'Lamb of God' shamed into returning COVID-19 cash

Next Post

December 20, 2020 Spain set to provide euthanasia as a health system 'benefit'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Archive My Atheism News Opinion Reviews Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 March 2007 April 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What guards the Garden of Eden?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Lions Serpents Cherubim Eagles

Books by This Author Books by The Freethinker

See All Titles »