YOUR SAY | Your Letters to the Editor about George Pell's conviction

What I have been observing from this Roman Catholic sex scandal is religious power keeping things as low key as possible because it is a threat to it’s empire.

Back in the fourth century we see the foundations of this religious power being born with the very powerful and wealthy roman Emperor Constantine who united  the Christian bishops, their followers and the empire in general. 

This had a powerful effect on the Christian church which eventually became the Roman Catholic church.

Today we can still see this power demonstrated.

But is this anything like what the historical Jesus did or would have wanted? Absolutely not. He loved and respected all  people.

He exposed the hypocrisy and injustices of the religious, commercial and political systems of his day. For all this, he was killed on a Roman cross. 

Today, most Christians have lost the plot and the real message of the historical Jesus.

Albert Gentleman, Townsville

I no longer identify as a Christian, but I do feel a deep sense of grief for those Catholics who must be so upset by the terrible news regarding Pell.

So many of you, I know, have remained true to the teachings of Christ and must be experiencing feelings of great loss and betrayal at this time.

I ask you not to be consumed by hatred and retribution, but instead invest yourself in those higher spiritual instincts of faith, love and hope.

My heartfelt prayers go out to you all at this time. Namaste.

John McKee, Ballarat

I have never seen a person convicted on such poor evidence as George Pell.

I am surprised at the fools at the County court who hurled abuse and waved silly placards.

Guilty or  innocent, it doesn’t matter.

Pell has become the sacrificial lamb.

Only when he is dragged from his cell and burnt at the stake will these people be satisfied.

I’ve seen less hysteria around mass murderers.

Michael Lillie, Ballarat

When a child is sexually abused, they are traumatised.

When an adult knows and chooses not to report it, they are complicit. 

This week we have seen again how organisations' institutionalised culture has betrayed children who trusted them, with devastating consequences.  

Our responsibility is to learn from the royal commission and implement its recommendations.

During the hearings, there was clear evidence that the seal of the confessional contributed to the trauma of children.

Justice Dodds-Streeton noted that abusers are very unlikely to tell anyone of their actions.

She also found that the introduction of a broad "failure to report" offence may result in the detection and prevention of some cases of child sexual abuse.

It is our obligation to act on this.

Australians have an obligation to adhere to the law of the land.

We have an obligation to keep children safe.

There is no sound reason that any expression of faith – including matters heard within a Catholic confession – should be exempted. 

We can certainly imagine scenarios where any crime is difficult to prosecute.

But that will not, and should not, deter us from investigating and prosecuting the reports made by people taking action on our collective obligation to protect children.

Because no matter what your expression of faith may be, nothing can be more important than the safety of kids.

Gordon Ramsay, Attorney-General, ACT

Brexit is a salient reminder to all Australian voters that when the electorate is not fully informed, it can make serious mistakes as has been the case with Brexit. Now that the full facts have been presented, the wont for the UK parliament to still leave the EU (BREXIT) is concerning.

Prime Minister Theresa May is delivering on the result of the original referendum in relation to Brexit, which was held 2½ years ago and a majority (52%) of the British population voted for the country to leave the European Union.

May has been stoic in believing that she must adhere to the wishes of the majority of the referendum voters. That is democracy!

Sadly, the UKIP, led by Nigel Farage, caused major issues by promoting false information regarding Brexit and its benefits; other politicians were also conned simply because they didn’t do their homework.

Put simply, Brexit came about because of the migration issues affecting the UK. The “leave” voters rejected both the Conservative and Labour parties’ majority view to remain in the EU.

Brexit is not good for the UK economy nor the EU. The UK supply chain is linked to Europe. Why would you leave? The best thing that could happen is that Prime Minister May calls a second referendum with the real facts presented so voters can make an informed decision.

Should this happen, Prime Minister May will again implement the wishes of the majority of those that vote.

My belief is that UK voters, now informed, will overwhelmingly vote against Brexit, with all the politicians forced to vote in support of the wishes of the voters.

And the UK Parliament can then get on governing in the best interests of the UK people.

With a federal election looming here in Australia, we all must ensure that we are fully informed about what the political parties are proposing and vote not only in our own best interest but importantly in the best interests of our nation. You have a voice use it well.

Ron Egeberg, Soldiers Hill