Cardinal George Pell's jail time was a "modern form of crucifixion" and he should become a saint, conservative former Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.
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Reaction to the sudden death of Pell was met with calls that the 81-year-old had come "to embody the institutional failures of the Catholic Church".
Others, including Abbott in his lengthy social media post, said the church had lost a great leader.
"He was a very pastoral priest who well understood the human stain, and was more than capable of empathising with sinners while still counselling against sin," he wrote.
![Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (right) likened Cardinal George Pell's (left) time in jail as a "modern form of crucifixion". Pictures: AAP Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (right) likened Cardinal George Pell's (left) time in jail as a "modern form of crucifixion". Pictures: AAP](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/yqbYpxNMru7TBX8VR5QF63/ea2a516f-2906-471c-baa1-de29e96b8436.png/r0_0_1600_900_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"His incarceration on charges that the High Court ultimately scathingly dismissed, was a modern form of crucifixion; reputationally at least a kind of living death."
The former PM praised the way Pell faced allegations of child sex abuse. Ultimately, the high court overturned Pell's conviction.
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"In his own way, by dealing so equably with a monstrous allegation, he strikes me as a saint for our times," he posted.
Abbott also praised Pell's journals written from his time in jail.
"His prison journals should become a classic: a fine man wrestling with a cruel fate and trying to make sense of the unfairness of suffering," the former PM said.
Pell was a committed defender of Catholic orthodoxy and a staunch advocate for the virtues of western civilisation," Abbott said.
"Like everyone who knew him I feel a deep sense of loss, but am confident that his reputation will grow and grow and that he will become an inspiration for the ages," he said.