The above depiction of the massacre of the innocents was painted by Rubens.
Today is the feast of The Holy Innocents, the babies and infants recorded by Mathew as murdered by order of Herod because of his fear of the Newborn King.
Six years ago today George Pell wrote in his prison journal: “The church, like Jesus, cannot avoid the clash between good and evil, love and hate, faith and darkness.”
Yesterday, a beautiful flower in front of the Mary Grotto at St Aloysius Church reminded me of Cardinal Pell’s singular and complex greatness.
I wrote these words:
Apud Tormenta Cotidiana Spes Nostra Vehemens Consanat …….
Among daily torments, our strong, savage hope heals ………
Cardinal Pell asked to have these words on his tomb: “Vehementer amavit Dominum et Ecclesiam (Vehemently he loved the Lord and the Church)”
The depiction below of the massacre of the innocents was probably painted by Thomas Schmid.
Geoff Fox, December 28, 2025, Melbourne, Australia
THE CRUCIFIED CARDINAL 