In his homily for the occasion, Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, described the cardinal as a “lion of the Church”, a “giant of a man with a big vision” who proclaimed the Gospel “shamelessly, vehemently, courageously to the end”.

Speaking at the 1.10pm Mass for the Dead, Wednesday 1 February at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral, Archbishop Costelloe said we are all equally brothers and sisters in the communion of the Church, and all equally children of our one Father in heaven.

The Holy Father, who had praised the Cardinal for keeping his faith “with perseverance even in the hour of trial,” arrived in St Peter’s Basilica at the end of the Mass to preside over the final rite of commendation, as he usually does for cardinals who die in Rome.

In a statement released today as President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said it was with great sadness that he learned of the unexpected death of Cardinal George Pell in Rome on Tuesday evening (Rome time).

Archbishop Costelloe continued by emphasising that Cardinal Pell’s impact on the life of the Church in Australia and around the world will continue to be felt for many years.

Australia’s Catholic Bishops have mourned the passing of Cardinal George Pell, who died in Rome age 81 after suffering a heart attack, brought on by complications from hip replacement surgery.

Cardinal Pell’s niece Juliette Pell has this week shared her fond memories of growing up with “Uncle George” to The Record, emphasising the impact of his devotion to the church on her own faith and that of her family.

One of the most difficult features of Volume Two of Cardinal George Pell’s The Pell Diaries is that readers know the end before the start has begun – notwithstanding that we are reading the journal of one who did not know the final outcome at the time.

The three-part series by Cardinal George Pell is a must read for every Catholic, writes Michael Britton.

Volume One of his prison diaries states, “No matter what you are going through, the Father has allowed it, for one reason or another.”

The three-part series by Cardinal George Pell is a must read for every Catholic, writes Michael Britton.

In a move apparently related to Vatican financial scandals, Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s resignation as prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes and his renunciation of the rights associated with being a cardinal, the Vatican announced on 24 September.

Australian Cardinal George Pell, 79, a former senior adviser to Pope Francis, has broken his silence two months after the country’s High Court overturned his conviction for sexual abuse of two teenagers.