my very good friend who is an Italian investigative journalist told me this years ago and I'm pretty sure I told everyone here.

His words at the time on hearing of Pell's appointment to clean up VaTican finances were:
"well that's the end of him..they'll set him up somehow"

Cardinal George Pell alleges his sex abuse charges could’ve been orchestrated by Vatican

In a stunning allegation, the now-cleared cardinal has claimed his sex abuse charges were a “public attack”, orchestrated by the Catholic Church.
Cardinal George Pell, cleared of child sex abuse charges earlier this year after spending more than a year in jail, has made a stunning claim about why he was embroiled in the ordeal.

In a candid interview with Italy’s public broadcaster RAI 1, on its current affairs program Sette Storei yesterday, Cardinal Pell said he believed senior figures from the Catholic Church targeted him because he was trying to clean up the Vatican’s finances.

hedda wrote:
my very good friend who is an Italian investigative journalist told me this years ago and I'm pretty sure I told everyone here.

His words at the time on hearing of Pell's appointment to clean up VaTican finances were:
"well that's the end of him..they'll set him up somehow"

Cardinal George Pell alleges his sex abuse charges could’ve been orchestrated by Vatican

In a stunning allegation, the now-cleared cardinal has claimed his sex abuse charges were a “public attack”, orchestrated by the Catholic Church.
Cardinal George Pell, cleared of child sex abuse charges earlier this year after spending more than a year in jail, has made a stunning claim about why he was embroiled in the ordeal.

In a candid interview with Italy’s public broadcaster RAI 1, on its current affairs program Sette Storei yesterday, Cardinal Pell said he believed senior figures from the Catholic Church targeted him because he was trying to clean up the Vatican’s finances.

Any priest, vicar etc are All quality of a crime it’s called brainwashing.

I still remember seeing Jimmy Swaggart in person, bawding his eyes out in the 90s.

You did indeed Hedda and I absolutely agree with you.

My Italian journo pal wrote an Italian best seller (and survived) about the dreaded Ndrangheta who apparently make the common and garden Mafia or Cosa Nostra look like Choir Boys
(# editor : probably not the best analogy considering the subject matter).

It's full of facts of their involvement with the Vatican finances..think of Roberto Calvi who died at the Blackfriars Bridge and is mentioned by Cardinel Pell.

He has also mentioned many times how the 'Ndrangheta became intimately involved Victorian police (known as VicPol) at senior levels.

If anyone saw the 'Underbelly' series - the Italian 'Ndrangheta were behind much of the corruption and established themselves over 70 years ago among the huge Italian immigrant society. Sydney has it's gangsters but the biggest criminal gangs are Hells Angels, the Mafia not so much.

George Pell reputedly uncovered, amongst the corruption, a lazy $200M in a secret Vatican bank account which is believed to belong to the 'Ndrangheta.

I'm really looking forward to Pell's book about the whole case.

I think Pell moved to Rome to live out his days as I don't think he felt safe in Melbourne.