He thanked his supporters and friends, “In particular [I thank] my family for their love and support and what they had to go through; my small team of advisors; those who spoke for me and suffered as a result…” He also thanked his legal team, for “…unwavering resolve to see justice prevail, to throw light on manufactured obscurity and to reveal the truth.”

It is that last line, “manufactured obscurity,” that brings me to the New York Times article reporting on the decision. Mr. Damien Cave, Times bureau chief in Sydney, with his collaborator Ms. Livia Albeck-Ripka, chose for a headline of its coverage of the decision, the following title: “Cardinal Pell’s Acquittal Was as Opaque as His Sexual Abuse Trial.”

This is a bizarre headline, considering that the decision of the High Court was seven to zero in favor of acquittal. A 7-0 victory is considered by most as a clear victory. Imagine the sports writer who reported on a World Cup final that the winning team had an “opaque” victory after crushing its rival 7-0.