Fairfax Publishing and Barney Zwartz give pathetic apology for inexcusable libel

Fairfax Publishing and Barney Zwartz give pathetic apology for inexcusable libel

Should read “Barney the Inexcusable”

Today Fairfax has had to issue the following apology for a number of false claims that it made about Cardinal Pell

“Apology to Cardinal George Pell

Date: March 30, 2013

On 11 March 2013, the online edition of The Sydney Morning Herald published an article “Tainted Pell out of race after lobbying” by journalist Barney Zwartz. A shortened version of this article titled “Pell has no chance of top job” also appeared in the print and online editions of The Sydney Morning Herald on 11 March 2013.

Our description of the outcome of the 2002 investigation by retired Victorian Supreme Court Judge A.J. Southwell into allegations against Cardinal George Pell did not fully set out his findings about Cardinal Pell. Soon after Mr Southwell made his findings in 2002, The Age published an article describing the findings as “a just result” and The Sydney Morning Herald accepts and agrees with this conclusion. As we said in an article published on 14 June 2010, this independent investigation cleared the Cardinal.

The Sydney Morning Herald apologises sincerely to Cardinal Pell for any suggestion to the contrary and for any adverse reflections on him in our 11 March articles”

Ref: http://www.smh.com.au/national/apology-to-cardinal-george-pell-20130328-2gx0t.html#ixzz2OyUwA6yq

Editorial Comment:

The articles penned by Barney Swartz came out just prior to the recent election of the current pope. Needless to say Barney’s articles have a distinct bent to them. He openly admitted that there was intense lobbying to kill off any chance of Pell becoming Pope. As gratuitous as Swartz’s motives may have been his influence (and that of his sourced lobby group) over the papal conclave would have been zip. However the damage to Cardinal Pell’s reputation and standing in the Australian community as a result would have been severe.

Despite pulling his most offensive article Barney Swartz, who is not a catholic, has seen fit to provide his opinions on how to run the Catholic Church. Judging by Barney’s track record you might as well have asked Jack Chick for his opinion too. (Both seem to have the same method of research.) ie: Find an ideological enemy and then invent evidence to suit any false accusation flung at them.

Here is a list of some of Barney’s articles that give a hint to bias:

 

Your Holiness, if I may be so bold as to suggest …

 WED MAR 18

Here the protestant Barney tried to give advice on how to run the Catholic Church. Most people would say that if you don’t like the rules then don’t join. But Barney does not wish to join the Church and still want his say.

 

Pope vows to protect the weakest in inaugural Mass

 WED MAR 20

 

Pope eschews pomp and protocol to lap up warmth

 WED MAR 20

 

Search for perfect pope needs patience of a saint

TUE MAR 12

 

Church used ‘blackmail, secrecy’

WED MAR 27

Here Barney Swartz accuses Cardinal Pell of blackmail and stand over tactics

 

Jesuit priest ‘preyed on young boys’

TUE MAR 26

 

Apology to Cardinal George Pell

SAT MAR 30

Barney’s foot in mouth disease finally catches up with him and he his paper is forced to apologize for his libel.

 

Church leaders hit back at clergy abuse inquiry claims

 SAT MAR 30

Finally Barney now tried to pretend that he is objective reporter. If only I had a drop of the sanctimonious BS that he runs on then I too could walk on water.