VATICAN CITY
Daily Star (Lebanon)
Reuters
VATICAN CITY/SYDNEY: The Vatican Monday strongly defended Australian Cardinal George Pell against accusations by a member of Pope Francis’ commission on sexual abuse that the Vatican’s finance chief had little regard for victims.
Peter Saunders, one of 17 members of the commission advising the pope on how to root out sex abuse in the Church, said on Australian television Sunday that Pell should be dismissed over allegations he failed to take action to protect children.
Pell, now charge of reforming the Vatican’s economic departments, issued a statement soon after the program aired, calling Saunders’s comments “false,” “misleading” and “outrageous,” and said he would consult legal advisers.
In a statement published by the network on his behalf, Pell said he had always taken a strong stand against child abuse. Pell has denied moving priests accused of abuse between parishes or offering one victim inducements to drop a complaint.
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