Up to Pell to return: Abbott

Tony Abbott says it's up to Cardinal George Pell whether he fronts a royal commission to explain what he knew about child abuse amongst Catholic clergy.

The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop has been mentioned at the commission this week by several witnesses who say he knew - or at the least suggest he might have known - about widespread abuse in the Ballarat diocese while he was a senior priest there in the 1970s.

But the prime minister on Thursday repeatedly said a written statement Cardinal Pell issued on Wednesday night dealt with the issues raised.

Church lawyers have told the commission Cardinal Pell will willingly make a statement to the commission if requested to do so, and have provided a copy of his overnight denials of victims' claims to the hearing.