What was George Pell thinking?
The death stare.
Those piercing and intense Irish eyes peer into the dead visage of Benedict XVI.
The strong boy from Ballarat contemplates the gentle boy of Bavaria— two princes of the Church, whose divergent paths mystically intersected in Holy Mother Church. In their own unique way, these prodigious prelates struggled mightily against demonic forces, seen and unseen in the Church.
Oh, to glean the thoughts of the 6’ 4” once fierce rugby ruckman, as he knelt and prayed at Benedict’s bier.
"In Australian rules football, a Ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages.
The Ruckman is one of the most important players on the field. They are often key to coaching strategy and winning centre clearances which result in the most goal kicking opportunities.”
As he dominated the rugby field, George Pell prevailed as the key strategic player in the sacred ground of the Catholic Church. As prelate, George Pell stood at the center of the Bergoglio papacy, towering over his brother cardinals, contesting and challenging the perfidious plans and pronouncements of Francis and his minions. When serving as the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy, Pell mightily attacked the impenetrably corrupt Vatican Bank and forced his will to clean up the IOR.
As the seasoned rugby star, Pell should have known the variety of dirty tricks on the rugby field. One national rugby team stands out: “The Argentinians, probably one of the most powerful scrummaging units in the world, use a technique called the 'bajada' where they would hit hard and drive forward.”
Was Pell recalling the moment during the 2014 Synod on the Family, banging his fist on the podium demanding transparency and accountability from Bergoglio and his sneaky synod relators?
The rugged game of rugby is described as “a war without the frills.” Pell, the talented rugby player knew he needed to go to war against this opponent, Jorge Bergoglio, the Argentine. Pell paid dearly for his advocacy to purge the scandal ridden Vatican Bank of its intransigent corruption.
In September 2020, George Pell returned to Rome, exonerated after his unfair prosecution and imprisonment in Australia.
His work at the Vatican was unfinished.
What was Cardinal Pell thinking as he knelt on his weakened knees and battered hip scrutinizing the dead corpse of Joseph Ratzinger?
Words left unsaid to Benedict?
Plans never realized?
Did he interiorly ask Benedict: What now, Your Holiness? What must we do about the “catastrophe” gripping the Catholic Church under Bergoglio?
Was Pell reflecting on conversations, memories, shared with Pope Benedict?
Early on, Pell knew that the Bergoglio Vatican posed a clear and present danger to the Catholic faith.
Was Pell recalling the moment during the 2014 Synod on the Family, banging his fist on the podium demanding transparency and accountability from Bergoglio and his sneaky synod relators?
Early on, Pell knew that the Bergoglio Vatican posed a clear and present danger to the Catholic faith.
If Pell knew, surely Benedict knew.
Was Cardinal Pell reflecting on the 2015 letter from 13 Cardinals that he drafted and personally handed to Bergoglio, denouncing the tactics and manipulative agenda of the Synod on the Family?
Did Pope Benedict know that Pell was “Demos”, the author of the 2020 anonymous memo sent to all the College of Cardinals condemning the Bergoglio apostasy and heresy?
Was Pell anxious about his soon to be released blockbuster 2023 Spectator articledamning the upcoming Bergoglio Synod on Synodality calling it a “toxic nightmare”?
As he knelt before Benedict, Pell could not have envisioned that his soon to be released Spectator article would be his final warning from his grave, exhorting the Church about the pending Synodal catastrophe.
As he knelt before Benedict, Pell could not have envisioned that his soon to be released Spectator article would be his final warning from his grave, exhorting the Church about the pending Synodal catastrophe.
Will the Church faithful heed his last words to his beloved Catholic Church hurtling toward perdition?
Was George Pell pondering that none of his interventions and skirmishes would have been necessary had not Benedict resigned on February 28, 2013?
Surely as he knelt there, George Pell could never have imagined that within a few short days, he would join his brother, Joseph Ratzinger in eternity.
In his Prison Journal, Vol. 1, Pell admitted, “I have no premonition of death at all, but at my age it will not hurt to start to prepare, even as I hope it is a remote preparation!”
Sadly, death was not remote.
Suddenly and cruelly, death silenced the mighty voice of George Pell.
Is there another ruckman to replace him in the battlefield to save Holy Mother Church?
Please God.
First published at The Remnant February 6, 2023