Ribbons for sex abuse survivors have been placed on the doors of St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth, Australia, ahead of Cardinal George Pell’s funeral on Friday.
The ribbons, which are white and bear the words “survivors of clerical abuse”, were tied to the doors of the cathedral on Thursday evening by members of the group Survivors and Mates Support Network (SAMSN).
The ribbons are intended to serve as a symbol of solidarity with survivors of clerical abuse and to be a reminder of the victims of abuse who were silenced by the church.
The action has been organised to ensure that survivors of clerical abuse are not forgotten during the funeral of the disgraced cardinal.
Cardinal Pell was found guilty in December of five counts of child sexual abuse, for which he was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison. He died in hospital in March before he could begin his sentence.
The ribbons were tied to the doors of the cathedral with respect to the victims and survivors of abuse, and to serve as a reminder that the Catholic Church has yet to fully confront the issue of sexual abuse within its ranks.
The action has been welcomed by survivors of abuse, who have often felt silenced by the church.
“We want the church to recognise that survivors need to be heard and the truth needs to be told,” said Peter Gogarty, a spokesperson for SAMSN.
As Cardinal Pell’s funeral takes place on Friday, the ribbons will still be tied to the door of St Mary’s Cathedral, serving as a reminder of the pain and suffering that has been inflicted on survivors of clerical abuse.