Vatican’s No.3 official to face historic sexual abuse trial in Australia
Australian Cardinal George Pell – the most senior Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis – has officially denied charges of sexual abuse spanning decades after his lawyers failed to sway a court to dismiss them.
The country’s highest-ranking Catholic will appear for the first time today in Victoria’s County Court where he has been ordered to stand trial at a date yet to be set.
Lawyers for Pell – Pope Francis’ finance minister – have been fighting the allegations since before he was charged in June last year with allegations of sexual abuse against multiple people in Victoria.
The allegations range from the time he was a priest in his hometown of Ballarat in the 1970s until the 1990s when he was Archbishop of Melbourne.
Magistrate Belinda Wallington dismissed about half the charges that had been heard in a four-week preliminary hearing in Melbourne, but decided the prosecution’s case was strong enough for the remainder to warrant a trial by jury.
The details of the allegations and the number of charges have not been made public.
When she asked Pell how he pleaded, the cardinal said “not guilty”.
Ms Wallington gave the 76-year-old permission not to stand, as is customary.
When the magistrate left the room at the end of the hearing, many people in the packed public gallery broke into applause.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke issued a statement, saying: “The Holy See has taken note of the decision issued by judicial authorities in Australia regarding His Eminence Cardinal George Pell.
Last year, the Holy Father granted Cardinal Pell a leave of absence so he could defend himself from the accusations. The leave of absence is still in place.”
Pell’s plea marked the only words he spoke in public during the hearing.
Wearing a cleric’s collar, white shirt and dark suit, Pell was silent as he entered and left the downtown courthouse with lawyer Robert Richter.
More than 40 police officers maintained order on the crowded pavement outside.
Under his bail conditions, Pell cannot leave Australia, contact prosecution witnesses and must give police 24-hour notice of any change of address.
The case places both the Cardinal and the Pope in potentially perilous territory.
Advocates for abuse victims have long railed against Francis’ decision to appoint Pell to the high-ranking position in the first place.
At the time of his promotion, Pell was already facing allegations that he had mishandled cases of clergy abuse during his time leading the church in Melbourne and Sydney.