THREAD: Pell & bunkum ABC conspiracy: 1. Dec 2015: Royal Commission prepares for #Pell to fly from Rome & give evidence. 2. December 2: @VictoriaPolice issues warrants for raids @ St Patrick’s Cathedral & St Kevin’s, re alleged offences vs teenage choirboys. Reported in @theage.
3. December 11: Pell’s lawyer tells Royal Commission he’s too ill to fly & wants to give evidence from Rome via video link. Furore. I much later discover sick note written by doctor who advises the Congregation for the Causes of Saints of medical miracles, ergo person is saint.
4. Dr Richard Sallie, gastroenterologist, writes to @smh offering to accompany Pell home & to pay for 1st class ticket. 5. Survivors desperate for answers about what #Pell knew resolve to fly to Rome. But they’re broke. 6. @GorgiCoghlan & @theprojecttv organise fundraiser.
7. With help of @theprojecttv @timminchin & his team make Come Home Cardinal Pell. . Wildly popular. 8. @theheraldsun breaks story Pell’s being investigated for historical offences vs kids. I’m sceptical & am cranky on a Saturday to have to make calls.
9. Through months of shoe leather journalism, I meet people who make me revisit my initial view. I realise initial view framed by lack of understanding that people take decades to come forward & doing so vs a Cardinal is terrifying. 10. Exhaustive fact checking & legal process.
11. @abc730 story by me. Back to reason @timminchin wrote that song in 2016: It was bc survivors wanted for answers on what #Pell knew. In 2017, Royal Comm made findings about that, redacted pending trial & appeals. They’re over. It’s been 2 weeks, @cporterwa. What’s the hold-up?
12. Just on terrible heart condition that Dr Sallie was happy to help him fly with, this is Pell at Heathrow on weekend my book came out. In spooky coincidence, old friend of mine noticed him on plane from Rome (yes, up the front) & hot-footed it across terminal to capture this: 
13. I note that he has recently indicated he might go back to Rome. Medical miracles can happen.
