Aussie sex abuse victims bound for Rome to watch cardinal testify for Royal Commission

Australian child sex abuse victims are on Tuesday preparing to fly to Rome, with a plan to watch Cardinal George Pell give evidence via videolink to Australia's Royal Commission into child abuse within the Catholic Church.

Victims flagged their intent to be present when Pell testifies, after it was revealed he was too ill to fly back to Australia from his current post in Rome.

Those affected by the alleged child abuse claims have said they want to expose Pell to a "courtroom setting", in which he must face the alleged victims while giving evidence.

Pell, 74, has been ordered to give evidence in the wake of allegations he suppressed and continues to suppress evidence of instances of child sex abuse while working as a priest in the small city of Ballarat during the 1970s and 1980s.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse has been gathering evidence since its establishment in 2013, with Pell, now Australia's highest ranking member of the Catholic Church, having been called upon since late last year to give evidence about the backdated claims of widespread sex abuse against former colleague Gerald Ridsdale.

On Tuesday, a group of victims released a statement which said, while they were disappointed that Pell would not be able to testify in Australia, a group of victims flying to Rome was the next best thing.

"While it was always preferable that Cardinal Pell appear in person, we accept the ruling of the commission and seek to move forward in the most equitable fashion possible," the group said.

"Attending in person was an opportunity for the cardinal to ensure the evidence given was unambiguous and within a courtroom setting.

"It was also an opportunity to provide direct responses to the survivors of the crimes committed under the auspices of the Catholic Church."

When Pell announced he would be unable to make the trip to Sydney, the group reached out to the online community in the hope of raising money for the victims to travel to Rome, and spokesperson Stephen Woods from the victims group said the response was substantial.

"I'm hopeful that we will go to Rome and provide a powerful statement that this entire royal commission process is about the victims," Woods said, "It is about the survival of people who've suffered enormous trauma in their lives, and I'm one of those people."

The third hearing of the Royal Commission is due to begin in Sydney before the end of February, though no date has been set for Pell's hearing. Endit