Cardinal George Pell was Archbishop of Melbourne from 1996 to 2001, Archbishop of Sydney from 2001 until 2014, and Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy in the Vatican from 2014 to 2019. He grew up in a pub in Ballarat, was educated by the Loreto Sisters and the Christian Brothers in that city, and after signing to train with AFL club Richmond at the end of school changed course and entered the seminary to become a Catholic priest. Sent to complete his studies in theology in Rome, he was ordained in St Peter’s Basilica by Cardinal Gregorio Pietro Agagianian in December 1966.

After ordination he was sent to Oxford University for further studies, completing a doctorate in history on the Church fathers in 1971. He returned to his diocese and served initially in the parish of Swan Hill before being appointed to Ballarat East. From here he also commenced working at Aquinas College, the Catholic teachers college at Ballarat, which he would soon go on to lead. His involvement with Aquinas College was the beginning of decades of work as a priest and bishop dedicated to education and to encouraging young people to become leaders who can serve their community.

He was a strong advocate for Catholic primary and secondary schools, and served on many Catholic education bodies at state and national level. He was Principal of the Institute of Catholic Education, which brought the three Catholic teachers colleges in Victoria under the one umbrella, and later on played a key role in the creation of Australian Catholic University, serving as its first pro-chancellor. He established the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family in Melbourne to promote teaching and research on marriage, family and bioethics, and helped to bring the University of Notre Dame Australia to the east coast, giving Sydney its first Catholic medical school and first Catholic law school. He also supported the founding in Sydney of Australia’s first Catholic liberal arts college, Campion College.

His work in education and his commitment to equipping young people to be leaders encompassed many other initiatives as well, including reforming seminaries and enhancing their programs of study, reviving and expanding university chaplaincies to strengthen the life of faith and culture on campus and helping to renew and energise the Australian Catholic Students Association, bringing World Youth Day to Australia in 2008, and developing a leadership formation immersion program with Australian Catholic University for student leaders in Catholic schools in Sydney and Melbourne.

Falsely convicted in 2019, Cardinal Pell spent 404 days in prison in solitary confinement before a unanimous joint judgement of the seven judges of the High Court of Australia overturned the conviction and acquitted him. He was welcomed back to Rome in October 2020 by Pope Francis in a private audience, during which the Holy Father thanked Cardinal Pell for his witness.

Fearless, forthright and big-hearted, Cardinal Pell provided a magnificent example of religious and civic leadership to a sometimes hostile, sometimes uncomprehending world. His deep faith, a deep love for his country, and a deep commitment to helping people impelled him to this and sustained him in it throughout an extraordinary life of witness and service.

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A major biography of Cardinal Pell was published by Tess Livingstone in 2024. You can read a review of it with some reflections on his life here Cardinal Pell ACHS Journal 2025