Hours before 10am on Wednesday, March 13 a media cloud had gathered over the County Court of Victoria, Melbourne. In a first for Australia, Judge Peter Kidd announced that the sentencing of Cardinal George Pell would be broadcast live on national television.
The mood was thick with an anticipation which too closely resembled excitement. Several journalists took selfies, and some hugged.
Standing in a line in front of the media were demonstrators. Some wore hats with “guilty” emblazoned on the front, while a disturbing placard caught the eye depicting the cardinal with horns over the words “Prisoner 666”. But others held signs that were unconnected with the trial. One referred to “child orphanages”, another “tax exemptions”, while another read, inexplicably, “Redress: No Mass till the nuns opt in”.
