Talk of the town: Bob Katter should learn how to 'read the room' after posting a controversy tribute to George Pell

He was a man whose respected role in society for decades had been overshadowed by historical sexual assault investigations.

The Courier Mail incorporated multiple pages of stories in its daily edition when the news broke. The first few spreads reported on the feeling of mourners across the country, then this was followed by some of his history of child sex convictions and the response from his victims.

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It was a very different form of coverage on the Facebook page of federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter.

On January 11, Mr Katter posted a lengthy tribute to the cardinal on his page, remembering him as "a person designated to iron out the problems in the world's leading Christian denomination".

"Once again in the Catholic church, this good and powerful man, though not always likeable, had his histrionic mission cut short by a bunch of pygmies, led by the likes of Dan Andrews and a powerful minority," he said on Facebook.

"The mob that dealt with Pell, the 'anti-Christian' mob, then set upon the Evangelicals, savagely destroying Israel Folau, and the eight heroes at Manly. The persecution and jailing of Pell was evil."

The Member for Kennedy's bizarre tribute was met with a barrage of posts from his constituents - some calling his tribute to the late cardinal as "ridiculous", "out of touch", and "lost the plot".

One Facebook member replied to the post with the comment: "You have lost me Bob".

Another said they had always liked Bob and enjoyed his take on things but "this has changed my opinion. No respect now".

"This latest effort of support for the now deceased Pell serves as a shining example of neglect of victims, the perceived impartiality of the court and facts before it and above all else...blind faith in Pell and Hollingsworth. What about their negligence regarding complaints before them when both were the leaders of their faith?" another commented.

One comment said "maybe you should of kept your opinions on this one to yourself".

"I wish you could understand the damage that can be done by trauma. Not everyone lives. I want you to reflect on this and really push for helping victims. Keep your faith but don't hold back at their mistakes," another comment said.

While it's morally acceptable to mourn someone you respect or have faith in, Mr Katter's tribute did not include any mention of support for victims of child sex abuse, during the cardinal's tenure as a priest and Archbishop of Melbourne between the '70s and '90s.

In 2018, Pell was found guilty of child sexual abuse, but on appeal, the convictions were withdrawn a few years later by the High Court of Australia.

For years, allegations have been raised that Pell knew of the sexual abuse taking place but did not adequately stop it.

I'm sure for a lot of people within the church, the news was shocking and it would have been difficult to choose a side to support when the intentions of a man they had trusted for so long were being brought into question.

We are no stranger to Mr Katter's regular, unorthodox outbursts.

But the response from his following on Facebook seemed to be much different this time. His tribute seemed blithe and unempathetic to all child sex abuse victims and those who read it weren't happy either.

Talk of the town is a weekly opinion piece written by ACM journalists. The thoughts expressed are their own.