Isn’t he related to the late Prince Phillip, too? Phillip was his uncle, apparently…
The Greek-born Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh and husband of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was an uncle.
I like the “Last King of” title. A few more people should have it.
Cardinal Pell, who was in charge of Vatican finances between 2014 and 2019, was jailed in Australia for child sexual abuse in 2019 but vigorously maintained his innocence and had his convictions quashed more than a year later.
…
As archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, he was responsible for establishing the Melbourne Response, which offered capped compensation payments of $50,000 to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy.
The scheme proved controversial, with a 2015 report released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommending it be operated and administered independently of the Melbourne archbishop’s office.
Which is a nice way of saying that he set it up so he could use it to strongarm survivors who had a good case into signing a non-disclosure and shutting up forever. Survivors who didn’t have a good enough case, of course, were crushed beneath the lawyers of the Roman Catholic Church.
Cardinal Pell made several appearances at the royal commission, which ultimately found he knew of abuse by paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale in the 1980s but did not take adequate action to address it, a finding Cardinal Pell disputed.
Let’s not also forget the personal and institutional moral and monetary support he directly gave Ridsdale over decades, while working to crush Ridsdale’s victims.
May he receive the afterlife he deserves.
Just announced on BBC News at Ten, apparently the news was released while they were on air. (Though I note the Guardian article is timed at 22.01.)
Meningitis? Fuck. A horrible way to go.
He deserved much much better. Mr Bill Murray sums it up pretty well here…
Very sad to hear.
A fascinating literary life… (including being a man who had a one-night stand with Patricia Highsmith).
I think I first learned of Lollobrigida courtesy if Looney Tunes.
And a death we won’t mourn:
Proud Boy Aaron Laigaie has died, apparently of Covid complications:
In the original comment thread, this perfect gif:
His mom is no doubt so proud
Not proud of THAT boy (Aaron)! But the song is lovely.
He will never have the opportunity to get over the lousin’ up, messin’ up, screwin’ up times
