Hot Off the Presses: Cardinal Pell Facing Criminal Charges with Multiple Complainants

SYDNEY (AP) -- Australian police say they are charging a top Vatican cardinal with historical sexual assault offenses.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 29, 2017

Hot off the presses: "Cardinal George Pell charged with multiple sexual offences: Third-ranking official in the Vatican charged by Victoria police in move that will send shockwaves around the Catholic church."

Nick Miller, "'The ambitious Australian bulldog': The life and times of Cardinal George Pell":

He was remembered by one priest from the seminary as "a tall, strong man [who] loves a fight and will do anything to get his own way". Another recalled "George thought men had to be men and that pansies belonged in the garden".

When Pell's cousin Monica Hingston, a former nun living in a committed relationship with another woman, asked to meet with him to discuss how the church's teaching about homosexuality harms LGBTQ people, he simply ignored her, saying he felt "cornered."

She did not exist for him.

She was not there to be seen.

She was "disrespectful" in asking that he meet with her face to face.

How does one put together all the elements of the story of George Cardinal Pell and make sense of it?

In his treatment of his cousin and of "pansies" in general, is he any different from other Catholic pastoral leaders, when all is said and done? 

How do these pastoral leaders justify attacking LGBTQ people when they themselves live in glass houses?

How can we not keep asking these questions?

Is the problem in the Catholic church and its official response to LGBTQ people really that LGBTQ people have failed to "respect" Catholic pastoral officials?