The funeral for Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s highest-ranking Catholic, will take place in Sydney this morning at 11am – and at the same time, a protest against the Catholic Church’s handling of clerical child abuse will be held nearby. NSW Police agreed with protestors on an alternative route yesterday after initially making an urgent application to the NSW Supreme Court to block the demonstration. The protest march will now include walking up to, but not on, College Street in Sydney’s CBD, where the St Mary’s Cathedral is located. Police will still be on high alert as thousands of people are expected to attend the 81yo’s funeral or the rally. Reports say some high-profile former and current pollies will go to the service this morning, but not PM Anthony Albanese, Governor-General David Hurley or NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.