The world’s eyes are on the trial of Cardinal George Pell, the Catholic Church’s most senior Vatican official to be convicted of child sexual abuse. George Yeo, a prominent former politician under the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and close acquaintance of the cardinal, hopes that Pell will be acquitted.
Pell, 77, is currently in detention awaiting sentencing for assaulting two choirboys in Melbourne in the 1990s. In December last year, the man was found guilty of five counts of child sexual abuse of two boys, with evidence against Pell describing wilful exposure, fondling, masturbation and oral rape. The offenses occurred in 1996 and 1997 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, months after he was inaugurated as archbishop of Melbourne.
A jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict.
The prominent Australian cardinal maintained his innocence and throughout the case (as well as multiple other accusations brought against him since 2002), and has lodged an appeal against his conviction. His sentencing has been scheduled for March 13.
George Yeo’s connection
After serving in the Singapore government for 23 years, Yeo retired from active politics in 2011 and has since busied himself in the private sector as the chairman of Kerry Logistics Network. A staunch Catholic with reasonable clout in the realm of finance, he was appointed a member of the Pope Francis-established Vatican Council for the Economy in 2014.
It was Pell who made the call to Yeo to participate in the administrative reform commission, and the two worked closely together during their meetings, typically held up to five times a year.
“I got to know him well and developed a deep respect for his sense of mission.”
Thus why Pell’s conviction and imprisonment “filled (him) and many others with pain”. Yeo prays that the cardinal will be acquitted following the appeal against the conviction.
Speaking to Mothership (a publication he has close ties with), Yeo genuinely believes that Pell is innocent, based on what he knows of the case and the man.
Outrage
As someone with a long political career who served as a minister in various ministries, the public wasn’t too pleased with Yeo’s stance.
On his end, Yeo responded to the criticisms by stating that his belief in Pell’s innocence is “a matter of conscience”. In a follow-up Facebook post, he expressed how he found the testimonies against the cardinal and the circumstances of the case hard to believe.
“I believe Cardinal Pell has good grounds for appeal and hope that his conviction would be overturned,” he affirmed.
“But that is for the Appeal Judges to decide. Cardinal Pell has consistently and resolutely maintained his innocence. If his conviction stands after all arguments have been made and all appeal avenues have been exhausted, I will have to respect the judgment of the Australian judicial system.”
Yeo added that he does sympathise with the trauma of sexual abuse victims, and has been horrified about the widespread abuse of minors in church institutions.
While some lauded Yeo’s resolute stand in solidarity with his friend, others pointed out that it would have been better if he kept his opinions out of public eye.
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