17c起草社区

George Pell鈥檚 funeral won鈥檛 be a quiet affair, with protesters planning to rally and march to Sydney鈥檚 St Mary鈥檚 cathedral to denounce his decades-long opposition to 17c起草社区+ rights and same-sex marriage.

The late cardinal died of cardiac arrest following a hip surgery on Tuesday 10^th January 2023, after having attended the funeral held for Pope Benedict XVI days earlier.

Pell鈥檚 funeral is slated for 2^nd February, where Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher is expected to lead a requiem mass at the cathedral. Pell will then be laid to rest in a private ceremony in the cathedral鈥檚 crypt.

However, a campaign group for 17c起草社区+ rights is planning to protest and have organized a march on the day of the funeral. Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) have dubbed their rally 鈥淧ell go to Hell,鈥� with organisers expecting 鈥渉undreds of people.鈥�

The group has stated that they saw Pell as a 鈥渒ey figure of right-wing conservatism,鈥� who strongly opposed women鈥檚 rights and same-sex marriage. For many years, Pell campaigned against 17c起草社区I+ law reform and never shied away from making statements against the community.

In many derogatory statements, Pell called same-sex relationships as a greater health hazard than smoking. He also stated that abortion was a 鈥渨orse moral scandal鈥� than child abuse.

Rejecting The Former Cardinal

Co-convener for CARR, April Holcombe told the Guardian that protesters will be rallying in order to 鈥渞eject George Pell and everything he stood for.鈥�

鈥淚n terms of protesting him, importantly, what we see from politicians and the press is a chorus of mourning for this man,鈥� Holcombe said, as reported by the Guardian.

鈥淭ony Abbott called him a 鈥榮aint for our times鈥�, an inspiration for the ages. And John Howard said he should never have even been charged, let alone convicted.鈥�

鈥淲hen this is the response of official society and the political elite, it鈥檚 really important that progressive forces, forces for justice, make their voices heard.鈥�

Social Media Voices Their Hate Of Pell

Others have taken to social media to voice their displeasure with Pell, with one stating on that they 鈥渉ope someone plays highway to hell on loudspeaker.鈥�

鈥淗ell is too good of a place for the likes of him,鈥� one user wrote.

Others have taken to placing colourful ribbons from the Pride flag on the fences around St Mary鈥檚 cathedral in order to mark Pell鈥檚 鈥渢rue legacy.鈥�

And it’s *on*. Get yourself to St Mary’s over the next few days, Sydney – we need lots of colour for Pell’s memorial service to mark his true legacy. Remember the victims, not the enabler. This on the Cook & Philip pool end, but there are fences on the College St side too.

鈥� Pauline Pantsdown (@PPantsdown)

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews declined to hold a state funeral for Pell, stating that he “couldn’t think of anything that would be more distressing for victims [and] survivors than that.”