AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun
Shannon Deery, Herald Sun
POPE Francis has confirmed he will take no action against Cardinal George Pell while an ongoing police investigation into alleged child sex offences continues.
Breaking his silence on explosive allegations levelled at the Cardinal last week, Pope Francis said he would only act at the conclusion of the criminal investigation.
“One must not judge before the justice system judges,” the pope said.
“If I were to make a judgment in favour or against Cardinal Pell that would not be good because I would be making a judgment first.
“There is doubt and there is that clear principle of law: in doubt, pro reo,” he said, a Latin term meaning a defendant cannot be convicted if there are doubts about their guilt.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.