Vic pedophiles 'a disastrous coincidence'

Cardinal George Pell says it was a "disastrous coincidence" that five pedophiles ended up at the one Victorian school and parish in the 1970s.

Four pedophile Christian Brothers taught at Ballarat East's St Alipius Boys' School and pedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale was the parish priest.

"I think it was a disastrous coincidence," Cardinal Pell told the child abuse royal commission from Rome.

Cardinal Pell said he did not believe the Christian Brothers meant to put those people together.

"I think their leadership in this area is pretty disastrous but I wouldn't for a minute think that they put all these people together for some specific purpose."

Cardinal Pell said he had nothing to do with St Alipius school although he lived in the St Alipius presbytery, which he shared with Ridsdale and another priest for nine or 10 months in 1973.

"I lived there, I helped out at the weekends," he said.

"And of course I regret that that situation was there and that I didn't have the information to do something to help.

"All those things at that stage were hidden to nearly everyone in the parish."