Tim Minchin takes off following damning Pell ballad

Comedy songwriter Tim Minchin has gone to ground following the release of his scathing song aimed at Cardinal George Pell.

His song Come Home Pell, which debuted last night, criticises Pell for not returning to Australia to face the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse.

In his lyrics he calls Cardinal Pell "scum" after the cardinal claimed he was too ill to travel.

Minchin did not hang around following the song's release, with his agent claiming the songwriter is on a flight for LA this morning.

A representative for the artist told ninemsn "Tim is happy for the song to speak for itself."

Broadcaster Steve Price, who was a panellist on The Project last night, said that he thought the song was abusive of Cardinal Pell.

"Obviously Tim Minchin feels really strongly about that, but I just think it's really disgusting how he's resorted to personal abuse there of George Pell," Price said.

Victims of abuse from Ballarat started a crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising $55,000 in order to confront the cardinal in Rome. The group have so far managed to accumulate more than $118,000 in just 24 hours.