It’s the End of the Road for George Pell, Vatican Insiders Say

By Jacquelin Magnay
The Australian
June 29, 2017

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Vatican insiders are already ­preparing to pension off George Pell, regardless of the ­outcome of any court case on historic sex ­offences.

The Australian has been told it is very unlikely Cardinal Pell will return to Rome in his high-profile role managing Vatican finances because the Pope, while supportive of Cardinal Pell, is seeking to fend off his harshest critics and minimise reputational damage.

Cardinal Pell emphatically claimed to have been subjected to a relentless character assassination, referring to media reports in Australia, but he has not enjoyed blanket support from within cardinal circles at the Vatican.

Always forthright, Cardinal Pell created several enemies as he sought to reform church fin­ances and bring international ­accoun­tancy standards to the multibillion-dollar ­finances of the church.

“That is the end of the road for George Pell in the Vatican, regardless of the outcome — he will be pensioned off when the court case finishes,’’ a Vatican insider told The Australian.