“Profoundly disrespectful”: Shock as George Pell supporters are told to write him a Christmas card
British Deacon Nick Donnelly has asked supporters of convicted paedophile Cardinal George Pell to send him Christmas cards in jail.
He asked his followers on Twitter to send Pell letters to his prison cell.
"Please show your support for Cardinal Pell by sending him a Christmas card," he wrote alongside a screenshot of an address.
Donnelly also says that anyone who sends a letter should “NOT address his envelope as ‘Cardinal Pell’ or it will be refused”.
Donnelly also said that gifts of $15 would be accepted.
The message has drawn criticism from other Twitter users who labelled the move "profoundly disrespectful.
It also drew criticism from Melbourne-based victim support group In Good Faith Foundation.
Chief Executive Officer Clare Leaney said to 7News.com.au that she hopes no victims of sexual abuse saw the Tweet.
"For a lot of survivors of abuse, there is no holiday period," she said.
"That's been taken away from them.
"These are people that have lost their faith and their connection to the church and I think the festive season reinforces the isolation some people can have."
Pell is currently preparing to spend his first Christmas period behind bars after being jailed for six years with a non-parole period of three years and eight months.
However, he is waiting to appeal his conviction in the High Court, which is expected to happen sometime next year.
Leaney says that the constant rehashing of the case could be stressful for victims.
"I think that for everyone, the impact of childhood abuse and particularly in a religious context, it’s unquantifiable," she said.
"For all our clients, they identify it as the worst moment of their lives."