VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service
Rosie Scammell | February 19, 2016
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican’s financial chief, Cardinal George Pell, is denying media reports that he is under investigation for allegedly sexually abusing children in Australia.
The “Herald Sun,” a Melbourne publication, on Friday (Feb. 19) claimed Pell was the subject of a probe in Australia’s southeast state of Victoria over allegations he sexually abused between five and 10 boys.
Victoria police declined to comment on the media reports.
Pell, who serves as the Vatican’s finance chief, described the allegations as “without foundation and utterly false.”
“The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the (Australian) Royal Commission,” said the statement issued by his Rome office.
Pell is due to testify before the Royal Commission about the church’s institutional responses to child sexual abuse later this month, appearing by video link from Rome. Abuse survivors have pushed for Pell to testify in person, but he was granted permission to testify from Italy for health reasons.
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