Opinions divided over Tim Minchin’s song attacking Cardinal

A new song poking fun at Cardinal George Pell has split opinions.

Comedian Tim Minchin has used the song, titled Come Home (Cardinal Pell), to criticise the Cardinal, calling him ‘scum’ and a ‘coward’ along the way.

But Neil Mitchell fears it has crossed a line into ‘personal abuse’.

His views are supported by Steve Price and, notably, the father of two sexual abuse victims.

Anthony Foster said he supported the song and its sentiment, but conceded some of the language could be counter-productive.

‘The song expresses the frustrations of so many of the victims fairly well,’ Mr Foster said.

‘(But) I’ve recognised that the best way to get results for the victims was to talk to the Church on a meaningful level.

‘The song raises it to a level where there’s a risk that the Church just stops talking to us.’

Click play to hear Mr Foster’s take

Neil Mitchell was much stronger.

‘George Pell deserves some decency,’ he said.

‘He does seem an arrogant and aloof man, but he doesn’t deserve to be told he’s going to Hell.’

However, the majority of the feedback to 3AW Mornings supported the song.

Hear Neil Mitchell’s full editorial here

3AW Nights host Steve Price branded the song ‘pathetic’.

Appearing on Channel 10’s The Project, he said he was disgusted by the personal abuse.

‘To write a song like that, and just abuse someone from a distance, I think is pathetic,’ he said.

Click play to hear Steve on The Project

Make your own mind up. Watch the controversial song here: