Cardinal George Pell: Timeline

The Age
June 29, 2017

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cardinal-george-pell-timeline-20170619-gwtu5r.html

Cardinal George Pell. Photo by Alessandra Tarantino

Cardinal George Pell was born in Ballarat on June 8, 1941.

He was educated at St Patrick's College and Corpus Christi College in Victoria, before studying at Urban University in Rome. He has a PhD in church history from Oxford University, UK, and a masters in education from Monash University.

1966: Ordained a priest for the Ballarat diocese in St Peter's Basilica

1971: Assistant Priest at Swan Hill

1973 - 1983: Assistant Priest at Ballarat East parish

1978 - 1979: Episcopal Vicar for Education in the Ballarat diocese

1987: Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne

1993: Pell walks priest Gerald Ridsdale to court. Ridsdale is later convicted of a string of child sex abuse charges

1996: Appointed Archbishop of Melbourne

2001: Appointed Archbishop of Sydney, the Australian Catholic church's most senior position

2003: Appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Sacred College of Cardinals

February 20, 2016: It's revealed that a Victoria Police taskforce has been ­investigating historical sexual abuse allegations against Cardinal Pell.

February 28, 2016: In evidence to the child sexual abuse royal commission in Rome, Cardinal Pell admits to "catastrophic failures" by the Catholic Church in relation to child sexual abuse, an issue he says was on his radar from the early 1970s

July 27, 2016: The ABC's 7.30 program details complaints against Cardinal Pell being investigated by Victoria Police.

October 2016: Three detectives travel to Rome to meet Cardinal Pell, who voluntarily participates in an interview

February 2017: A police brief of evidence regarding sex assault allegations against Cardinal Pell is handed to prosecutors for review

May 13, 2017: ABC journalist Louise Milligan's book Cardinal: The Rise And Fall of George Pell is published. The book contains new allegations of sexual abuse against Cardinal Pell

May 14, 2017: Cardinal Pell's lawyers strongly deny the allegations raised in the book

May 16, 2017: Victoria Police receives advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions about the brief of evidence.  Police refuse to comment

May 18, 2017: Cardinal Pell restates his innocence in Rome, saying: "We have to respect due process, wait until it is concluded and obviously I will continue to co-operate fully."

May 25, 2017: Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says a decision about charging the senior Catholic figure is "imminent".

June 29, 2017: Victoria Police announces Cardinal Pell will be charged on summons in relation to "multiple" offences and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a file hearing. Fairfax Media understands Cardinal Pell has retained leading Victorian criminal barrister, Robert Richter QC.