Cardinal charged
Vatican finance chief denies child sex offences and vows to clear name
Australia accuses Vatican finance chief of child sex abuse.
Sydney: Cardinal George Pell, the third most powerful figure in the Vatican and Australia’s most senior Catholic, was charged with historical child sex offences in a case that has rocked the church.
Pell, the Vatican’s finance chief and the highest-ranking Catholic cleric to face such charges, “strenuously denied” the allegations and vowed to clear his name.
The saga poses a tough public relations challenge for Pope Francis, who handpicked Pell to control the Holy See’s purse strings.
“Victoria Police have charged Cardinal George Pell with historical sexual assault offences,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton told reporters. “There are multiple complainants relating to those charges.”
The 76-year-old was summonsed to appear before the Melbourne magistrate’s court on July 18.
No details of the charges were given and Patton would not take any questions, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the judicial process.
Catholic officials said the cardinal would return to Australia after receiving advice and approval from his doctors.
“He has again strenuously denied all allegations. He said he is looking forward to his day in court and will defend the charges vigorously,” the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said in a statement. A lawyer for two unnamed men who had made abuse claims against Pell said they were “over the moon” about the charges.
“It’s been very difficult for them to stick their neck out,” Ingrid Irwin told Melbourne’s Herald Sun.
“To come out against someone who is second to God, in some people’s minds, has caused all sorts of problems for them.”
The repercussions on the church’s future could be significant, longtime observer and editor of Australian online forum Catholica, Brian Coyne, said.
“This is the most senior person in the church who has ever been charged and the implications are both huge for the future of the Catholic church in this country and internationally,” Coyne said.
“Pope Francis must be feeling the heat at the moment and some embarrassment having his number three senior manager facing these sorts of allegations.”