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George Pell funeral: Police ask court to ban protest

February 1, 2023

George Pell is currently lying in state in a Sydney cathedral. Police have sought a court order to prevent protesters from disrupting his funeral.

https://p.dw.com/p/4MwAP
The coffin of Cardinal George Pell lays in state at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney
Pell was once the third-highest ranking cleric in the VaticanImage: Rick Rycroft/Pool/AP/picture alliance

Mourners paid their respects to Cardinal George Pell who lay in state in a Sydney cathedral on Wednesday.

The vigil came as police applied for a court order to prevent protesters from disrupting his funeral.

Sexual abuse allegations and strict views on abortion, gay marriage

Once the third-highest ranking cleric in the Vatican, Pell's final years were marked by allegations of sexual abuse along with criticism of his hard-line positions on abortion and gay marriage.

Pell, who spent more than a year in prison before the child abuse convictions were overturned in 2020, died in Rome on January 10. He was 81.

Outside Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral, where his body lies in repose ahead of his funeral on Thursday, sexual abuse survivors have been tying ribbons to the gates as a symbol of solidarity with other victims.

The ribbons have been repeatedly removed by authorities.

The Catholic Church in Crisis

Safety concerns over protest

The New South Wales Police Force, meanwhile, has turned down an application from the gay activism group Community Action for Rainbow Rights for a permit to demonstrate outside the cathedral on Thursday. The police said the decision was taken over safety concerns.

Police have also applied to the New South Wales Supreme Court to ban the protest.

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said police couldn't reach a compromise with organizers' protest plans.

"New South Wales Police is not opposed to the topic that the protesters wish to air. We certainly respect the right of people to be able to protest and air their voices," Hudson told reporters.

But a "number of aspects" of the proposed rally "present a risk to public safety," Hudson said.

Justice Peter Garling adjourned the hearing until later Wednesday to allow further talks between police and activists.

Pell was imprisoned in 2019 on charges of sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys, but the conviction was overturned at appeal. The cardinal was also critical of the current Pope, Francis, over the Argentinian's efforts to modernize the Church.

jsi/msh (AP, AFP, dpa)