ABUSE TRACKER

VATICAN CITY
The Australian

June 29, 2017

JACQUELIN MAGNAY
Foreign correspondentEurope
@jacquelinmagnay

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.

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UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage

William D. Lindsey

Pell says he’s the victim of a witch hunt.

It’s always about them, for these fellows, isn’t it? It’s never about those who come forward courageously with painful reports about their abuse.

It’s always the leaders of the Catholic church who are the victims. It’s always the white Christians who run things in many cultures who are being persecuted, oppressed, marginalized.

The defensive I-am-the-victim response is ingrained in their DNA, as is the ravenous need to cast some hapless victims as the enemies of the church and of Christianity, enemies to be stigmatized, squelched, eradicated so that the church can demonstrate its muscle and feel better about itself.

Such muscle-flexing has been part and parcel of Pell’s entire career as an ecclesiastic, it seems.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Jun. 29, 2017

VATICAN CITY
Australian police announced Thursday they are pursuing charges against Cardinal George Pell over allegations of historic sexual abuse against minors, bringing the decades-long clergy sexual abuse crisis directly to the Vatican for the first time and placing pressure on Pope Francis to oust one of his closest advisors.

“Police have charged Cardinal George Pell with historical sexual assault offenses,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton of the Australian state of Victoria announced. “Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons and he is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 this year for a filing hearing.”

“Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges in respect of historic sexual offenses and there are multiple complainants relating to those charges,” Patton continued.

In a statement to journalists at the Vatican press office early Thursday morning, Pell said Francis had granted him a leave from his role as prefect of the Secretariat of the Economy to return to Australia and answer the charges against him.

“I’m looking forward finally to having my day in court,” said Pell. “I’m innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”

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AUSTRALIA
Goulburn Post

Louise ThrowerLouise Thrower
@ThrowerLouise

29 Jun 2017

The charging of Cardinal George Pell on multiple historical sexual assault offences is “catastrophic” for the Catholic Church, says a longtime Goulburn parishioner.

Bob Stephens has attended Saints Peter and Paul’s Cathedral Masses for the past 65 years. He also serves on the Cathedral’s restoration committee.

He was shocked to hear that police had charged Cardinal Pell on Wednesday. The Rome-based former Archbishop of Sydney is due to appear before Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on July 18.

“It’s catastrophic for the church but this has to run its course. I believe he’ll cooperate,” Mr Stephens said.

“If he’s guilty, he has to go down with the rest of them. No one is exempt from this.”

He described sexual abuse as “a crime against society” and cited the recent sentencing of several former Saint Patrick’s Goulburn Christian Brothers.

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AUSTRALIA
news.com.au

Megan Palin
news.com.au
@megan_palin

CARDINAL George Pell has come under the microscope repeatedly amid a string of controversies during his time at the helm of the Catholic Church in Australia.

He is Australia’s most senior Catholic and the third most powerful in the Vatican.

But Cardinal Pell has only recently become embroiled in what could turn out to be the defining episode of his life.

Police today confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged over historical sexual offences. It comes after he last year became the focus of a clergy sex abuse investigation and Victoria detectives flew to the Vatican to interview the cardinal.

At the time he denied the allegations, saying they were false.

He has since been summonsed from Rome to appear at a filing hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18. A statement issued by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said Cardinal Pell “strenuously” denied the charges.

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ROME
ABC News (Australia)

Cardinal George Pell has addressed the media after being charged with historical sexual assault offences and ordered to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 18.

Pell has strenuously denied all allegations. At a press conference in Rome this afternoon he claimed he is the victim of “relentless character assassination”.

Here is a transcript of what was said:

Good morning to you all. I want to say one or two brief words about my situation.
These matters have been under investigation now for two years.
There have been leaks to the media. There has been relentless character assassination — relentless character assassination — and for more than a month, claims that a decision on whether to lay charges was imminent.
I’m looking forward, finally, to having my day in court.
I’m innocent of these charges. They are false.
The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.
I’ve kept Pope Francis — the Holy Father — regularly informed during these long months. I have spoken to him on a number of occasions in the last week, I think most recently, a day or so ago.
We talked about my need to take leave to clear my name. So I’m very grateful to the Holy Father for giving me this leave to return to Australia.
I’ve spoken to my lawyers about when this will be necessary.

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AUSTRALIA
BBC News

By David Willey
BBC Vatican correspondent

Australian Cardinal George Pell, one of Pope Francis’ most senior advisers, is facing criminal charges for alleged sex offences dating back several decades.

Cardinal Pell has emphatically denied the charges.

At the Vatican, it’s being seen as a punishing body-blow to the reputation and credibility of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church.

Cardinal Pell, 76, is a former Archbishop of Sydney who now resides inside the Vatican. He was summoned to Rome by Pope Francis in 2014 to try to sort out scandal at the Vatican Bank, and to reform a particularly messy situation in Vatican finances.

Three years ago, the cardinal pleaded health reasons for refusing to return home to face questioning at a public hearing by a Royal Commission set up to investigate allegations of child sex abuse inside Australian institutions such as churches, schools and sporting groups.

However, he agreed to answer questions by video link from Rome, vigorously denying any wrongdoing, although arousing some public criticism over a surprising analogy that he offered.

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UNITED STATES
The New York Jewish Week

BY HANNAH DREYFUS June 27, 2017

A new study, the first of its kind in the Jewish community to chart how prepared schools and camps are to prevent child sexual abuse, reveals that protections are not uniformly understood or implemented.

The study — conducted by Jumpstart, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that funds and supports Jewish innovation, and being reported on here for the first time — found that only 58 percent of the 68 Jewish day schools surveyed reported having a written policy to deal with child sexual abuse.

While 95 percent of the 90 Jewish overnight camps surveyed had a written policy to deal with child sexual abuse, the detail, breadth and application of those policies remained lacking, according to project director and CEO of Jumpstart, Joshua Avedon. (Two hundred Jewish overnight camps and 140 Jewish day schools were contacted for the study.)

“The most important finding is that there’s a lack of understanding about what best practices are to create a safety framework,” said Avedon. “Even organizations that are attempting to do this work and putting into place some measures and controls don’t fully understand what needs to get done.”

The study, conducted by sociologist Steven M. Cohen and abuse expert Shira Berkovits in consultation with the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) and the RAVSAK network of community Jewish day schools, found that despite broad adoption of written child sexual abuse policies, the content of those policies are not always consistent with best practices. For example, only 26 percent of day schools indicated they had a policy in place that prohibited staff from being alone with a child unless visible to others.

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AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

David Marr
Thursday 29 June 2017

A bright kid from an Australian bush town, George Pell kept his nose clean as he rose through the ranks to become chief of the Vatican’s finances. Despite a notably hard heart he was always a valuable asset to the church as a fearless conservative ideologue and a fine administrator.

Young Pell was plucked from Australia to train in Rome and at Oxford for the big career that was always beckoning. He returned to serve briefly and unhappily in a remote parish on the Murray before being brought into the heart of the diocese of Ballarat which in those years was a hell of child abuse.

Pell swears he saw little or nothing in those years.

Strange that the career of a man who would climb so far and so fast was marked early on by such a want of curiosity. He would explain to Australia’s royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse: “It was a sad story and of not much interest to me.”

He sat on a committee that transferred Father Gerard Ridsdale from parish to parish. The crimes of this vicious paedophile were notorious in Ballarat, known to the bishop and familiar to other members of the committee. But by his own account, Pell never asked why this priest was always on the move.

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NEW JERSEY
Times of Israel

Michael J. Salamon

In case you have not yet heard, there have been several arrests made in Lakewood, New Jersey this week. The FBI and local authorities arrested seven married couples thus far and accused them of defrauding the welfare system of over a million dollars.

These arrests should not come as a surprise as some time ago the authorities in Lakewood have signaled their intent to crack down on fraud. The investigation and charges indicate that there are many families who have found ways to hide income and assets in order to gain unwarranted, unnecessary and illegal monies from the government. According to local reports, following the arrests, the local welfare offices were overwhelmed with calls from individuals seeking to get off the welfare rolls so as not to risk being investigated and found guilty of fraud as well.

According to Census data Lakewood is the fastest-growing town in New Jersey. Well over 100,000 people now live there. The area is burgeoning with new housing popping up everywhere. Lakewood’s expansion is driven by a blossoming Orthodox community linked in a variety of ways to the large, prominent yeshiva community there. Most interesting is that recent data also indicates that almost 39% percent of people in Lakewood claim to live in poverty.

These arrests highlight an all too common problem in certain communities. According to Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, writing in the Forward, the community suffers from “systemic corruption.” Rabbi Moskowitz blames this on the well-worn but highly outdated notion that government is the enemy. The religious system was meant to create an environment of normative halachic purity but that has not happened in our times.

Rabbi Moskowitz goes on to say:

“The goal was to minimize, and ideally eliminate, the space between the ideal Torah centric life and actual way we live our lives. Unfortunately, the void between the two is vast, painfully disappointing and continues to widen. The world and our communities are changing, perhaps faster than ever, but spiritual practice is often frozen in time. There is complex tension between innovation and tradition that requires collective rabbinic skill to address. But instead of being present for the holy labor of asking what God expects from us now, the pause button was pressed and the need for updated answers avoided.”

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ROME/AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

These matters have been under investigation now for nearly two years.

There have been leaks to the media, relentless character assassination and, for more than a month, claims that a decision on laying charges is “imminent”.

I am looking forward finally to having my day in court. I repeat that I am innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.

I have kept Pope Francis regularly informed throughout this lengthy process, and have spoken to him in recent days about the need to take leave to clear my name.

I am grateful for his support in granting me this leave to return to Australia.

I have spoken to my lawyers about when I need to return home, and to my doctors about how best to do this.

I have been consistent and clear in my total rejection of these allegations.

News of these charges strengthens my resolve, and court proceedings now offer me an opportunity to clear my name and then return to my work in Rome.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Joanne McCarthy

The Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis was always going to peak at the Vatican. The only surprise is it was an Australian who took it there.

Then again, we’re the only country in the world that’s held a national Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Cardinal George Pell is Pope Francis’ prefect of the secretariat for the economy – in effect the reforming Pope’s chief financial headkicker who’s generally accepted as number three in the Vatican hierarchy – but he’s also the most senior Catholic cleric in the world to be charged with sex offences, as of Thursday.

Cardinal Pell works in the Vatican.

He lives just outside the Vatican’s 44 hectares of diplomatically-protected ground, and he’s there after Pope Francis controversially appointed him in February, 2014 before the cardinal’s first bruising encounter with the royal commission.

He’s stayed at the Vatican after – again, controversially – not returning to give evidence at a second public hearing in March last year for health reasons.

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release, June 29, 2017

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, volunteer Western Regional Leader for SNAP, the Survivors Network (949-322-7434, jcasteix@gmail.com)

Police in the Australian state of Victoria have today charged a Roman Catholic Cardinal with sexual assault.

[New York Times]

Cardinal George Pell, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers, will face criminal charges involving accusation of sexual offenses. Law enforcement did not provide any additional details about these allegations, including the ages of the alleged victims, other than to say that there were multiple complainants.

SNAP, the Survivors Network, wants to thank the Victoria Police, who took the time to listen to those who came forward with allegations. We are always grateful and encouraged when law enforcement works hard to gather evidence to build a case against a powerful and influential man. We hope that anyone with additional information about this case will contact law enforcement.

We also hope that the Australian government’s long and extensive investigation into institutional abuse inspires other countries to follow in their footsteps and hold similar hearings. Sexual abuse thrives when it is allowed to flourish in secrecy.

Finally, we await Pope Francis’ response to this development. As the head of the Catholic Church, he has promised to work to end the scourge of abuse by his clergy. We expect him to give proof of this by sending Cardinal Pell home immediately to face these charges.

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KENTUCKY
WDRB

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Father Joseph Hemmerle is set to be sentenced at 9:00 Thursday morning in Meade County.

Last month, he pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment and third degree sexual abuse – in exchange for the recommended sentence. That sentence is 2 years in prison, followed by 8 years on probation.

It stems from allegations that he abused a boy in the summers of 1977 and 1978 at Camp Tall Trees, in Meade County.

The plea agreement signed last month says the victim wants to settle the case and show mercy on Hemmerle due to his age.

Any sentence handed down Thursday would run after the seven years he’s is already serving in a separate, yet similar case.

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ROME
The Age

Nino Bucci

Cardinal George Pell is taking leave from his post at the Vatican in his bid to clear his name over multiple historical sex abuse allegations.

Cardinal Pell was impassioned and defiant during a press conference on Thursday, and said he was “looking forward to his day in court”.

He confirmed he would return to Australia to fight the charges, pending medical advice.

One of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church, he criticised what he claimed were several leaks to the media and the “character assassination” to which he had been he had been subject.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) “I’m totally innocent of these charges.”

At a press conference Thursday morning at the Vatican, Cardinal George Pell, the Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, forcefully denied charges of “historical” sexual offences filed against him by Australian police. “All along I have been completely consistent and clear in my total rejection of these allegations,” he said.

In brief remarks ahead of an official statement by the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Pell said he has kept Pope Francis regularly informed of the situation. He expressed his gratitude to the Pope for granting him leave to return to Australia to clear his name.

Cardinal Pell was critical of media leaks concerning the situation, and lamented the “relentless character assassination directed against him. “I’m looking forward, finally, to my day in court,” the Cardinal said, proclaiming his innocence and denouncing the charges as false. “The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me,” he said.

In its official statement, the Holy See Press Office said, “The Holy See has learned with regret the news of charges filed in Australia against Card. George Pell for decades-old actions that have been attributed to him.” It noted that Cardinal Pell has chosen to return to Australia “in full respect for civil laws… recognizing the importance of his participation to ensure that the process is carried out fairly, and to foster the search for truth.” During his absence, the statement noted that the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy “will continue to carry out its institutional tasks.”

The Press Office statement goes on to say, “The Holy Father, who has appreciated Cardinal Pell’s honesty during his three years of work in the Roman Curia, is grateful for his collaboration, and in particular, for his energetic dedication to the reforms in the economic and administrative sector, as well as his active participation in the Council of Cardinals (C9).”

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Melissa Cunningham

Clergy sexual abuse victims have called for Cardinal George Pell to be immediately stood down from his powerful Vatican post in the wake of historical sexual abuse charges being laid against him.

Victoria Police has confirmed Cardinal Pell, has been charged on summons over multiple allegations against multiple victims and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a filing hearing.

Clergy sexual abuse victim Andrew Collins said it was incumbent on Pope Francis to stand down Cardinal Pell from his position as head of the Catholic church’s finances.

Mr Collins was one of 15 Ballarat clergy sexual abuse survivors who travelled 16,000 kilometres to Rome to bear witness to Cardinal Pell’s evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse last year.

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AUSTRALIA
Telegraph (UK)

29 JUNE 2017

Cardinal George Pell has become the highest-ranking Vatican official to ever be charged in the Catholic Church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal.

The 76-year-old, Australia’s most senior Catholic cleric, was summonsed to appear in an Australian court to face multiple charges of “historical sexual assault offences”.

The Vatican’s finance chief has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Here is everything you need to know about the cardinal, the case and Australia’s history of sex abuse in the Catholic Church.

What is his position and background?

Widely regarded as the third most senior official in the Vatican, Cardinal Pell was appointed in 2014 to a five-year term to head the Vatican’s new economy secretariat.

The role gave him broad rein to control all economic, administrative, personnel and procurement functions of the Holy See, though the mandate has since been restricted to performing more of an oversight role.

Cardinal Pell, who holds a doctorate from Oxford and is a staunch conservative on issues such as homosexuality and abortion, has long been an imposing figure in the Church in Australia and has been heavily criticised for his handling of child sex abuse by Catholic priests.

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AUSTRALIA
U.S. News

SYDNEY (AP) — The Latest on Vatican Cardinal George Pell being charged with sex offenses in Australia (all times local):

1:30 p.m.

An Australian support group for adult survivors of childhood abuse is applauding the decision by Australian police to charge a key Vatican aide with sexual assault.

Pam Stavropoulos, head of research at the Blue Knot Foundation, said on Thursday that the charges filed against Cardinal George Pell send a “powerful message” to both survivors of child sexual abuse and society as a whole. Stavropoulos says the filing of the charges shows that no one is above the law.

Police in the Australian state of Victoria said Pell has been summoned to appear in court next month to face charges involving “historical sexual assault offenses.” No details have been disclosed.
___

12:30 p.m.

The leading support group for victims of sexual abuse by priests has called on Pope Francis to speak out about sexual assault charges filed in Australia against a key Vatican aide.

Survivors’ network SNAP noted that Francis had promised to work to “end the scourge of abuse by his clergy.”

The statement issued from SNAP’s headquarters in the United States called on anyone with additional information about the case of Cardinal George Pell to come forward. Police in the Australian state of Victoria said Thursday that Pell has been summoned to appear in court to face charges involving “historical sexual assault offenses.” No details have been disclosed.

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VATICAN CITY
Times of India

AFP

VATICAN CITY: Cardinal George Pell said Thursday that he would take leave from the Vatican to return to Australia to fight sexual assault charges after being given strong backing from Pope Francis, who has not asked him to resign from his senior Church post.

Hours after becoming the highest-profile Catholic cleric to face such charges, the Vatican finance chief said he had been a victim of “relentless character assassination” and vowed to clear his name and return to work.

“I am looking forward finally to having my day in court. I am innocent of these charges,” the 76-year-old said at a press conference. “They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”

Pell, unofficially considered the number three in the Vatican hierarchy, said he had been in close contact with Francis.

In a strongly supportive statement, the Vatican said Pell’s staff would continue his work in his absence and noted Francis’s respect for the Australian’s “honesty” and “energetic dedication” to his work on Church financial reform.

“The Holy See expresses its respect for the Australian justice system that will have to decide the merits of the questions raised,” the statement said.

“At the same time, it is important to recall that Cardinal Pell has openly and repeatedly condemned as immoral and intolerable the acts of abuse committed against minors; has cooperated in the past with Australian authorities … has supported the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors; and finally, as a diocesan bishop in Australia, has introduced systems and procedures both for the protection of minors and to provide assistance to victims of abuse.”

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AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Melissa Davey
Thursday 29 June 2017

What has happened?

Cardinal George Pell, who is responsible for managing the finances of the Vatican and the Holy See in Rome, has been charged with historical sexual assault offences in Australia. He was appointed to the Vatican by Pope Francis in 2014.

Pell’s legal representatives were served with the charges on Thursday in Melbourne, where police have been investigating the allegations. The charges relate to multiple complainants and alleged offences said to have occurred in the state of Victoria. However, police have not detailed exactly how many charges Pell is facing or named what the specific charges are.

A statement released by Pell’s office in Sydney on Thursday said he “strenuously denied all allegations”.

He is the most senior Vatican figure to be charged with sexual abuse.

Who is Cardinal George Pell?

Pell is Australia’s most senior Catholic, and his role managing the Vatican’s finances means he is the third most senior figure in the Vatican. He has previously been identified among more than 200 cardinals around the world as one of the more likely candidates to replace Pope Francis when he resigns or dies.

The now 76 year-old was appointed to the Vatican for a five-year term in 2014. He relocated to Rome from Australia, where he had been the archbishop of Sydney since 2001.

In 2013 Pell was one of eight cardinals chosen from around the world to be part of an advisory panel to help Pope Francis reform the Catholic Church.

He was Archbishop of Melbourne between 1996 and 2001, and before that was auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Melbourne since 1987. Pell grew up in the small town of Ballarat in Victoria, which is located about 100km north-west of Melbourne. He was an assistant priest at a parish at Ballarat East from 1973 to 1983. In 1996 Pell was appointed archbishop of Melbourne, a role which he held until his move to Sydney in 2001.

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AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun

A JUST society demands both an accused person and an alleged victim are given equal rights before the law.

A just society also demands that, regardless of power or position, no one is above the law.

Victoria Police has been investigating sexual offence allegations against Cardinal George Pell for more than two years.

The Herald Sun 16 months ago first revealed detectives from Sano Taskforce were composing a dossier of allegations after interviewing a number of complainants.

Cardinal Pell has strenuously denied, then and ever since, any allegations of abuse.

Victoria Police had presented the Office of Public Prosecutions a brief of evidence for advice on whether charges could or should be laid.

In the end, the Director of Public Prosecutions left the decision to police, who yesterday announced they had filed a number of charges relating to several complainants dating back some years.

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AUSTRALIA/ROME
The Atlantic

ARIA BENDIX JUN 28, 2017

Australia’s most senior member of the Catholic Church, Cardinal George Pell, was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault on Wednesday, making him the highest-ranking Vatican official to ever incur the charges. Pell is also the chief financial adviser to Pope Francis, whose “zero tolerance” policy toward sexual assault has been accused of lacking follow-through and failing to curb the church’s longstanding legacy of abuse.

On Wednesday, Australia’s Victoria Police said multiple complainants had come forward against Pell, but did not provide any further detail regarding the nature of the alleged assaults. The charges are considered “historic sexual offenses,” indicating that they occurred many years ago. According to the Associated Press, two men have previously accused Pell, then a senior priest in Melbourne, of touching them inappropriately at a swimming pool in the late 1970s. Pell, whose religious career spans more than 50 years, has consistently denied the allegations.

“I’d just like to restate my innocence,” Pell told reporters in May, amid rumors that he would soon be charged. He added that he stood behind his statements to Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse—a government-authorized inquiry established in 2013. At his testimony in February 2016, Pell was asked to provide evidence of his role in the church’s sexual abuse scandal in Australia, in which officials admittedly dismissed allegations of assault to protect clergy members. Pell, who is based in Rome, testified via video-link, arguing that his declining health prevented him from attending in person.

In his testimony before the commission, Pell condemned the church’s handling of abuse allegations, calling it “absolutely scandalous.” “I’m not here to defend the indefensible,” he said. “The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those.” In reference to Gerald Ridsdale, a former Australian priest who is currently serving a prison sentence for his abuse of more than 50 children, Pell argued that the church’s inaction resulted in “an enormous amount of suffering.” “I must say, in those days, if a priest denied such activity, I was very strongly inclined to accept the denial,” he said.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Register

Holy See says Pope Francis has granted the Australian prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy a leave of absence to defend himself against charges of sexual assault; the cardinal has pledged to then return to work in the Vatican.

Edward Pentin

The Holy See has stressed the Secretariat for the Economy will continue its work after Pope Francis gave its prefect, Cardinal George Pell, a leave of absence to defend himself in court against sexual assault charges.

Earlier on Thursday, Victoria police decided to charge the cardinal “in respect to historic sexual offenses.”

Cardinal Pell has vigorously denied the charges, telling reporters at the Vatican this morning that he has been subjected to “relentless character assassination” and that news of the allegations strengthens his resolve and offers him the opportunity to clear his name.

Here below are both the statements given this morning by the Holy See and Cardinal Pell.

More soon.

***

CARDINAL PELL’S STATEMENT

“Good morning to you all.

I want to say one or two brief words about my situation. These matters have been under investigation now for two years. There have been leaks to the media, there’s been relentless character assassination — a relentless character assassination — and for more than a month claims that a decision whether on laying charges is “imminent.”

I’m looking forward to finally having my day in court.

I’m innocent of these charges, they are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.

I’ve kept Pope Francis, the Holy Father, regularly informed during these long months, and I have spoken to him on a number of occasions in the last week, most recently I think a day or so ago. We talked about my need to take leave to clear my name. So I am very grateful to the Holy Father for giving me this leave to return to Australia. I’ve spoken to my lawyers when this will be necessary, and I’ve spoken to my doctors for the best way to achieve this.

All along I’ve been completely consistent and clear in my total rejection of these allegations. News of these charges strengthens my resolve and court proceedings now offer me the opportunity to clear my name and then return here, back to Rome, to work.”

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AUSTRALIA
ABC News

Cardinal George Pell, who has been charged with historical sexual assault offences by Victoria Police, is Australia’s highest ranking Catholic and also a senior member of the global Church.

Here’s what he does in his role.

What is his official title?

He is the current Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.

So he’s kind of like a treasurer in a government?

You got it.

How long has he held the job?

For the past three years.

In fact, he’s the first to hold the position since it was created by Pope Francis in 2014.

What is the job?

When he created the position, Pope Francis said the Secretariat was responsible for “oversight for the administrative and financial structures and activities of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the institutions linked to the Holy See, and the Vatican City State”.

To break that down for you — the Curia is the administrative wing of the Church, the Holy See is the Pope’s diocese as bishop of Rome which has a central role in the Church, and the Vatican is the sovereign city-state within Rome.

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ROME
Crux

John L. Allen Jr.
June 29, 2017

With criminal charges of sexual abuse having been filed against Cardinal George Pell in his home country of Australia, many questions will be asked, most about the accusations and Pell’s defense. From a Vatican point of view, however, a key question is what all this means for the prospects of financial reform, and the best answer probably is, “Nothing good.”

In the wake of news that police in the Australian state of Victoria have filed criminal charges of sexual abuse against Cardinal George Pell, many questions will be asked, most of which likely will have to do with the charges themselves and Pell’s defense, which he has declared he intends to pursue vigorously once he’s back in his native country.

Some observers suspect the prosecution is politically motivated, and others have raised the question of whatever it’s even possible for Pell to receive a fair trial given the way Australian media have demonized the 76-year-old prelate. Yet, bitter experience of abuse scandals in the past has taught Catholics everywhere to withhold judgment until all the evidence is in.

In the meantime, from a strictly Vatican point of view, there’s another question that cannot help but surface, which is the impact of all of this on the financial reform Pope Francis has said he wants to execute, and which was the reason he brought Pell to Rome in 2014 in the first place.

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ROME
The Daily Beast

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU
06.29.17

ROME—The Catholic Church’s lurid child abuse scandals have just hit home at the Vatican.
Australian Cardinal George Pell, the head of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy and the third highest ranking member of the church’s hierarchy, has been criminally charged with “multiple” acts of sexual violence against minors in Australia.

He is expected in court in Melbourne, Australia, on July 18 to face charges.

Pell, 76, told reporters during a briefing Thursday morning in Rome that he had spoken to Pope Francis and would “step aside” to “clear my name.”

Although this scandal has been building for some time, as reported last year in The Daily Beast, the charges were announced early morning Thursday in Australia, which prompted the Vatican to scramble a last-minute press briefing with Pell in Rome in an astonishing show of transparency.

“Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons and he is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 this year for a filing hearing,” according to Victoria police officials heading the investigation.

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ROME
CBS News

ROME — Australian police have charged Cardinal George Pell with multiple counts of “historical sexual assault offenses,” making him the highest-level Catholic Church official ever to face such charges.

In the elite group of cardinals — the so-called “princes of the church” Cardinal Pell was at the very top, reports CBS News correspondent Seth Doane. Pell has been a close advisor to Pope Francis, so when news of the charges broke Thursday morning, it rocked the church to its core.

The 76-year-old cardinal was reflective but forceful in remarks he gave Thursday, railing against what he called almost two-years of “relentless character assassination.”

“I’m looking forward to finally having my day in court. I’m innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse to me is abhorrent,” insisted Pell.

Australian police did not provide any details of the multiple charges of sexual assault against him.

Cardinal Pell has been in charge of reforming church finances, but for years he’s faced allegations that he failed to properly deal with clergy sex abuse in Australia.

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AUSTRALIA
Washington Post

By Derek Hawkins June 29

In 1993, George Pell was a rising star in the Catholic Church in Australia, his resume sterling, his ambition well-known. After receiving a PhD from Oxford, he spent more than a decade as education vicar in the Victorian city of Ballarat, then rose to become auxiliary bishop of Melbourne.

So that year, when his onetime housemate and former chaplain of a Ballarat religious school was charged with sexually assaulting young boys, Pell’s superiors called on him for support.

As the chaplain, Gerald Ridsdale, made his first appearance in Melbourne Magistrate’s Court, Pell walked beside him in solidarity, clad in his black priest’s robe and jacket. The hope, Pell would later say, was that his presence alongside Ridsdale would “lessen his time in jail.”

A photo of the moment made the rounds in Australian media, stoking outrage among victims and their supporters who wondered why the high-ranking clergyman had accompanied the accused pedophile to court. Ridsdale would go on to plead guilty to the charges and later be imprisoned on dozens of other counts of sexually assaulting children, in one of the most notorious pedophilia rings in the country’s history.

Pell, now a top-ranking cardinal in the Catholic Church, has been haunted by the picture with Ridsdale over the past two decades, during which he has been dogged by claims that he covered up reports of sexual assault by members of the Australian clergy and abused young boys himself. His critics say the image of him standing at Ridsdale’s side represents a dismissive stance on sex abuse claims — his “coldheartedness” and “contempt,” in the words of one victims advocate.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Ebony Bowden

The Australian Catholic Church has spoken in support of Cardinal George Pell, emphasising his contribution to the church and warning against a trial by media in the wake of sex abuse charges.

In a statement released after Victoria Police confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged over historical sex abuse allegations, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne defended the 76-year-old’s character.

Archbishop Denis Hart, who took over from Cardinal Pell as Archbishop of Melbourne in 2001, said he was “aware of the significance” of the decision to charge his predecessor but went on to highlight the work of the man who is Australia’s most senior Catholic figure.

“Cardinal Pell has been a friend and brother priest of Archbishop Hart for more than 50 years,” the statement read.

“The Archbishop is conscious of the Cardinal’s many good works which have been acknowledged both nationally and internationally.

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ROME/AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Nick Miller

Rome: Cardinal George Pell is one of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church. Personal adviser to the Pope, holder of the Vatican purse strings, this “Aussie bulldog” is feared, respected and plotted against in the marbled halls of the Vatican.

It’s a remarkable achievement for a boy from Ballarat – the smart, sporty, precocious son of a gold mine manager who was early on picked out for greatness.

If the multiple sex charges against him are proven, it will be a fall just as remarkable as the rise that preceded it.

Pell was born on June 8, 1941 – Trinity Sunday. His father was Church of England – a Kalgoorlie gold miner who came east for the 1936 Melbourne Cup, and stayed. Pell’s athletic genes came from George snr, captain of Perth Life Saving Club and WA heavyweight boxing champion.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton provided the following statement at a Victoria Police press conference on Thursday. He did not take any questions.

“Good morning. Today Victoria Police have charged Cardinal George Pell with historical sexual assault offences.

“Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons and he is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 this year for a filing hearing.

“The charges were today served on Cardinal Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne and they have been lodged also at the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

“Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges in respect of historic sexual offences and there are multiple complainants relating to those charges.

“During the course of the investigation in relation to Cardinal Pell, there has been a lot of reporting in the media and a lot of speculation about the process that has been involved in the investigation and also the charging.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Melissa Cunningham

Two men who claim to be sexual abuse victims of Cardinal George Pell say they have been finally heard after years of being too fearful to report their allegations to police.

Ballarat lawyer Ingrid Irwin, who represents two of Cardinal Pell’s alleged victims, said the men were “ecstatic” about charges being laid.

Victoria Police has confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons over multiple allegations and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a filing hearing.

“For so long, these men were too afraid to come forward because of the Catholic Church’s power, but this has shown George Pell is not above the law,” Ms Irwin said.

“They are both feeling vindicated because it is acknowledgement.These men have been living in a grey area for two years, it was such a risk for them to go public and they’ve been waiting to be validated.”

While Ms Irwin praised Victoria Police’s decision to charge Cardinal Pell, she said it remained unclear how many charges concerning her clients would be laid or the nature of those charges.

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ROME
Sydney Morning Herald

Nick Miller

Rome: It was the feast of St Peter and St Paul in Rome, a day of celebration, worship – and, for many Romans, an afternoon at the beach.

By ancient tradition, the devout were expected to be up all the previous night remembering the church’s martyrs.

In the early hours of the morning, Cardinal Pell received the news he had been expecting: he had been charged on summons by Victorian Police with multiple historic sex offences.

There was no arrest, no knock on his door from the Italian police (Pell lives in an apartment just outside the walls of Vatican City, around the corner from St Peter’s).

Indeed, there was no sign of movement at his home at all – though he was home.

As the sun rose a queue began to form across the road: nuns, tourists, the faithful and the curious queuing to go through metal detectors into St Peter’s Square facing the basilica. Vatican workers were hard at work setting up for the afternoon Mass.

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ROME
Eyewitness News (South Africa)

Reuters

SYDNEY – Pope Francis granted top adviser Cardinal George Pell leave to return to his native Australia to face charges of sexual abuse, a Vatican spokesperson said on Thursday as Pell declared his innocence.

At a news conference called hours after Australian police charged him with multiple historical sex crimes, Pell said he would return to clear his name after a two-year investigation he described as characterised by “relentless character assassination”.

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ROME
Daily Mail

By Press Association

A senior Vatican cardinal charged in Australia with multiple historical sexual offences has denied the accusations and denounced what he called a “relentless character assassination” in the media.

Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’s chief financial adviser and Australia’s most senior Catholic, said he would take a leave of absence as the Vatican’s finance tsar and would return to Australia to fight the charges.

Pell is the highest-ranking Vatican official charged in the church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton of Victoria state police said officers have summonsed Pell to appear in court to face multiple charges of historical sexual assault offences.

Mr Patton gave no other details of the allegations, and Pell was ordered to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 18.

Pell, 76, has for years faced allegations that he mishandled cases of clergy abuse when he was archbishop of Melbourne and then Sydney, but more recently, he became the focus of a sex abuse investigation himself, with Victoria detectives flying to the Vatican last year to interview him.

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VATICAN CITY
Daily Nation (Kenya)

AFP

VATICAN CITY

Cardinal George Pell said Thursday that he would take a leave from the Vatican to return to Australia to fight child sex abuse charges after being given strong backing from Pope Francis, who has not asked him to resign from his senior Church post.

Pell, the Vatican’s finance chief and the highest-profile Catholic cleric to face such charges, said at a press conference at the Vatican that he had been a victim of “relentless character assassination” and vowed to clear his name and return to work in Rome.

“I am looking forward finally to having my day in court. I am innocent of these charges,” the 76-year-old said. “They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”

ENERGETIC DEDICATION

Pell, unofficially considered the number three in the Vatican hierarchy, said he had been in close contact with Francis in recent days and thanked the head of the Church for granting him leave.

In a strongly supportive statement, the Vatican said Pell’s staff would continue his work in his absence and noted Francis’s respect for the Australian’s “honesty” and “energetic dedication” to his work on Church financial reform.

“The Holy See expresses its respect for the Australian justice system that will have to decide the merits of the questions raised,” the statement said.

“At the same time, it is important to recall that Cardinal Pell has openly and repeatedly condemned as immoral and intolerable the acts of abuse committed against minors; has cooperated in the past with Australian authorities (for example, in his depositions before the Royal Commission); has supported the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors; and finally, as a diocesan bishop in Australia, has introduced systems and procedures both for the protection of minors and to provide assistance to victims of abuse.”

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AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun

By Susie O’Brien, Herald Sun
June 29, 2017

THE charging of Cardinal George Pell with sex offences is a major coup for the Child Sexual Abuse Royal Commission.

It’s not part of a witch hunt, as some are claiming. No one is #HuntingCatholics.

Rather, the charging of the Catholic Church’s third most senior cleric is a legitimate step in a rigorous and extensive process. It’s important to note that Victoria Police stress Pell has been treated no differently to anyone else in the investigation.

This process — which some people are working hard to undermine — started two years ago when more than one man spoke up about abuse they say Pell perpetrated.

After investigation, Victoria Police decided there is enough merit in the claims for Pell to be charged and face trial.

It doesn’t mean Pell is guilty, and this must not be assumed. At this stage this is a victory of the system, not a sign of guilt. Indeed, Pell has said he “strenuously denied all allegations”.

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AUSTRALIA
Aljazeera

Top Vatican Cardinal George Pell has said he will take a leave of absence, but will not resign as he vowed to “clear” his name over multiple counts of historical sexual assault offences.

“I have kept Pope Francis regularly informed throughout this lengthy process, and have spoken to him in recent days about the need to take leave to clear my name,” Pell said in a statement on Thursday.

Pell is the pope’s chief financial adviser and Australia’s most senior Catholic official.

Earlier on Thursday, he was summoned to appear in an Australian court to face multiple charges of “historic sexual offences”, meaning the offences generally occurred some time ago.

He is the highest-ranking Vatican official to ever be charged in the church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal.

Victoria state Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said Pell is required to appear at a Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a hearing.

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AUSTRALIA
Yahoo! News

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian police charged Cardinal George Pell, one of Pope Francis’s most senior advisers, with multiple historical sex offences on Thursday.

Australia’s Pell, the Vatican’s treasurer, is the most senior figure in the Catholic Church to face charges of committing sexual offences. He strenuously denies the charges.

Pell was charged by summons to appear before a Melbourne court on July 18. Here are some key facts about him:

– Pell was born on June 8, 1941, in the country town of Ballarat in the state of Victoria in Australia’s south.

– Pell was ordained as a priest in 1966 and served in his home state from 1971 to 1983, including 10 years in Ballarat.

– In 1996 he became the Archbishop of Melbourne, a role in which he helped establish the “Melbourne Response”, the Catholic Church’s first formal system of handling abuse complaints in Australia.

– He was appointed Archbishop of Sydney, Australia’s most senior Catholic role, in 2001.

– The following year, Pell stepped aside to face a closed hearing over abuse allegations dating back to the 1960s. The Church committee hearing the allegations found insufficient evidence to justify further action and Pell resumed his role.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

Chris Vedelago, Cameron Houston, Nino Bucci, Rachel Browne, Melissa Cunningham

The call that plunged the Catholic Church into one of its worst crises in a generation came in the early hours of Thursday morning in Rome.

Cardinal George Pell – Australia’s highest ranking Catholic and one of the most powerful figures in the Vatican – had been charged with historical sex crimes, the culmination of a two-year investigation by Victoria Police.

Within hours, Cardinal Pell fronted the global press in Rome to proclaim his innocence, lambast those who leak to the media, and announce he was standing aside to return home to fight the charges.

“I am looking forward, finally, to having my day in court,” he said. “I am innocent of these charges; they are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”

The cardinal repeatedly condemned the “relentless character assassination” he said he had been subjected to since news of the police investigation became public, and that the laying of charges “strengthens” his resolve to clear his name.

He is set to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court late next month, charged on summons.

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ITALIEN
Katholisch

[Pope Francis wanted to practice mercy and in 2014 had prevented the dismissal of a priest Mauro Inzoli from the clergy who had abused children. Now, he reverses his decision.]

Der wegen sexuellen Missbrauchs von Minderjährigen verurteilte italienische Priester Mauro Inzoli (67) ist von Papst Franziskus aus dem Priesterstand entlassen worden. Das teilte der Bischof von Crema, Daniele Gianotti, in einem Brief mit, der am Mittwoch auf der Internetseite seines Bistums veröffentlicht wurde. Damit nimmt Franziskus eine Strafmilderung vom Juni 2014 zurück.

Der Vorgang ist von überregionaler Bedeutung, weil der bisherige Umgang mit dem Fall Inzoli von manchen Medien als Beleg dafür gewertet worden war, dass Franziskus in einigen Fällen – entgegen seiner öffentlich propagierten Null-Toleranz-Strategie – eine härtere Bestrafung von Kinderschändern verhindert habe.

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AUSTRALIEN
Spiegel

Seit Längerem gibt es Missbrauchsvorwürfe gegen George Pell. Nun ist in seiner Heimat Australien Anklage gegen den Finanzchef des Vatikans erhoben worden. Der Kurienkardinal bestreitet die Vorwürfe

Die australische Polizei hat ein Ermittlungsverfahren gegen Kurienkardinal George Pell wegen Missbrauchsvorwürfen eingeleitet. Der 76-Jährige ist im Vatikan für den Haushalt zuständig und damit die inoffizielle Nummer drei der katholischen Hierarchie. Früher war der Australier unter anderem Erzbischof von Melbourne und Sydney. Es gehe um lange zurückliegende Sexualstraftaten, teilte die Polizei mit. Nähere Angaben zu den Vorwürfen machte sie nicht.

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AUSTRALIEN
Neue Zurcher Zeiting

29.6.2017

Seit Jahren wehrt sich der höchste katholische Würdenträger Australiens und die inoffizielle Nummer drei der Vatikan-Hierarchie gegen Vorwürfe des sexuellen Missbrauchs von Kindern. Nun steht der Papst-Vertraute George Pell vor Gericht.

(dpa) Gegen einen der höchsten Würdenträger der katholischen Kirche ist ein Ermittlungsverfahren wegen Missbrauchsverdachts eingeleitet worden. Die Vorwürfe richten sich gegen den australischen Kurienkardinal George Pell – Finanzchef im Vatikan und damit inoffizielle Nummer drei der Kirchenhierarchie. Wie die Polizei im australischen Bundesstaat Victoria am Donnerstag weiter mitteilte, muss Pell, ein Vertrauter von Papst Franziskus, am 18. Juli zu einer Gerichtsanhörung in Melbourne erscheinen.

Der 76-Jährige ist Australiens ranghöchster Kirchenvertreter und war vor seiner Versetzung nach Rom Erzbischof von Melbourne und Sydney. Anfang 2014 ernannte ihn Franziskus zum Leiter der neu geschaffenen Aufsichtsbehörde für die wirtschaftlichen Angelegenheiten des Vatikans, eine Art Finanzministerium.

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ROMA
El Pais

DANIEL VERDÚ

Roma 29 JUN 2017

Hace semanas que se se esperaba la noticia. El caso estaba a punto de explotar, pero el papa Francisco confiaba en su inocencia y decidió no apartar a uno de sus hombres más importantes en la Curia Romana, el responsable de Finanzas del Vaticano, George Pell. El Pontífice decidió aceptar el coste y las durísimas críticas que le acarrearía durante este tiempo. Pero se ha roto el muro de contención. El cardenal ha sido acusado esta madrugada de múltiples abusos sexuales en Australia, según ha anunciado el comisario de dicho país Shane Patton. Él ha negado todos los cargos y el Vaticano le ha ofrecido su claro respaldo y no ha exigido su dimisión.

La noticia ha llegado a cámara lenta. Hace ocho meses los agentes policiales interrogaron a Pell en Roma sobre estas acusaciones, que él desmiente ahora categóricamente. De hecho, durante este tiempo se han publicado decenas de artículos y libros citando el asunto. Acorralado, el cardenal, de 76 años y máxima autoridad de la Iglesia Católica en Australia, deberá comparecer el 18 de julio ante el tribunal de primera instancia de Melbourne para dar explicaciones. Es sospechoso de haber cometido abusos sexuales cuando era sacerdote en la ciudad de Ballarat (1976-80) y cuando fue arzobispo de Melbourne (1996-2001), ambas en el Estado de Victoria.

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AUSTRALIA
El Mostrador (Chile)

El cardenal George Pell, el católico más alto de Australia y funcionario de tercer rango en el Vaticano, está siendo acusado de múltiples delitos sexuales a menores por la policía de Victoria.

Según publicó el diario The Guardian los cargos fueron entregados a los representantes legales de Pell en Melbourne el jueves pasado y se han presentado también en la corte de magistrados.

El cardenal deberá presentarse ante la corte el 18 de julio. “El cardenal Pell enfrenta múltiples cargos y hay múltiples denunciantes”, dijo el policía Shane Patton.

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AUSTRALIA
Herald-Whig

By The Associated Press
Posted: Jun. 29, 2017

Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ chief financial adviser, has been charged in his native Australia with multiple counts of “historical” sexual abuse, becoming the highest-ranking Vatican official ever charged in the church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal. A look at the key events in Pell’s life:

1941: George Pell is born in Ballarat, in the Australian state of Victoria.

1966: Pell is ordained a priest for the Ballarat diocese in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

1987: Pell is ordained an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

1996: Pell is appointed Archbishop of Melbourne and later sets up a compensation program for church sex abuse victims that some victims later criticize as inadequate, intimidating and a deterrent to lawsuits.

2001: Pell is appointed the Archbishop of Sydney.

2002: Pell steps down as Sydney Archbishop in response to allegations he sexually abused a boy more than 40 years earlier. Pell emphatically denies the allegation. An inquiry finds there is no way to establish the allegation, citing lack of evidence and questions about the accuser’s credibility. Pell is reinstated.

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AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail

By Sam Duncan For Daily Mail Australia

Tony Abbott has leapt to the defence of Cardinal George Pell after the Pope’s finance chief was charged with historical sex offences.

Mr Abbott, a Catholic who once trained to be a seminarian, has long maintained a high profile relationship with Pell, who is the third most senior figure at the Vatican.

Following the charges, which will see Cardinal Pell return to Australia to attend court, the former prime minister made a public display of support for his old friend.

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ROME/AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome and Melissa Davey in Melbourne
Thursday 29 June 2017

Pope Francis is facing the biggest crisis of his papacy after the third highest ranking official in the Vatican, Cardinal George Pell, was accused of sexual abuse charges in his native Australia.

Police in Australia announced on Thursday that charges for multiple sexual offences were served on Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne and that he had been ordered to appear in court on 18 July.

“Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges … and there are multiple complainants,” Victoria police’s deputy commissioner Shane Patton said. The charges were “historical sexual assault offences”.

Pell announced at a press conference that he was innocent of the charges and that he was taking a leave of absence in order to return to Australia and “clear his name” following a recent discussion of the matter with the pope.

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VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Vatican says finance reforms will continue in Cardinal George Pell’s absence, expresses respect for Australian justice.

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VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Vatican Cardinal George Pell being charged with sex offenses in Australia (all times local):

9 a.m.

The Vatican spokesman says Pope Francis has appreciated Cardinal George Pell’s honesty and commitment during his three years working to reform the Vatican’s finances.

In a statement read to reporters Thursday, spokesman Greg Burke recalled that Pell has “openly and repeatedly condemned as immoral and intolerable” acts of sexual abuse against minors.

He noted that Pell has cooperated with Australia’s Royal Commission investigation into sex abuse and that as a bishop in Australia, worked to protect children and compensate victims.

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VATICAN CITY
Associated Press

BY NICOLE WINFIELD AND KRISTEN GELINEAU
ASSOCIATED PRESS

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinal George Pell, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers, took a leave of absence as the Vatican’s financial czar on Thursday to fight multiple criminal charges in his native Australia that allege he committed sexual assault years ago.

Pell appeared before reporters in the Vatican press office to forcefully deny the accusations, denounce what he called a “relentless character assassination” in the media and announce he would return to Australia to clear his name.

“I repeat that I am innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me,” Pell said.

The Vatican said the leave takes effect immediately and that Pell will not participate in any public liturgical event while it is in place. Pell said he intends to eventually return to Rome to resume his work as prefect of the Vatican’s economy ministry.

Pell, 76, is the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to be charged in the church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal, and the developments pose a major and immediate new obstacle for Francis as he works to reform the Vatican.

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VATICAN CITY
The Tablet (UK)

29 June 2017 | by Christopher Lamb

‘I’m innocent of these charges, they are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me,’ Pell said this morning

Vatican Financial Chief, Pell, takes leave of absence to fight sex abuse charges
Cardinal George Pell is temporarily stepping down from his role as Vatican financial chief following the Australian police’s decision to charge him with multiple child sexual abuse offences.

In a statement delivered at the Vatican this morning, the cardinal said he would take a leave of absence in order to clear his name, after which he plans to return to his work in Rome.

Pope Francis today said he appreciated Pell’s “honesty” and was grateful for his collaboration in reforming Vatican finances.

But the latest developments represent the biggest crisis to face Francis’ papacy, throwing his plans to bring accountability and transparency to Vatican finances into uncertainty.

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AUSTRALIA
Heavy

[with video]

By Tom Cleary
Published Jun 29, 2017

high-ranking Vatican official and close aide to Pope Francis has been charged with “historical sex offenses” in his native Australia.

Victoria Police announced the charges against Cardinal George Pell, 76, on June 30, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons and he is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 this year for a filing hearing,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Patten said at a press conference Thursday. “The charges were today served on Cardinal Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne and they have been lodged also at the Melbourne Magistrates Court.”

Pell oversees finances for the Vatican.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Details of the Accusations, Related to Multiple Alleged Incidents From the 1970s, Haven’t Been Released

Victoria Police did not release details about the accusations against Cardinal George Pell during the Thursday press conference, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.

He has been under formal investigation since last July, relating to offenses alleged to have occurred in the 1970s, when he was working as a diocesan priest in Ballarat, a city in Victoria. Three Victoria Police detectives interviewed Pell in Rome last October.

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UNITED STATES
KBZK

Jun 29, 2017

By Madison Park CNN

(CNN) — For more than three decades, the Catholic Church has been rocked by sex abuse scandals spanning the globe.

And for decades, the church has been accused of protecting itself rather than the victims of child sexual abuse.

Here are some major scandals and revelations involving the Catholic Church and allegations of abuse.

Australia 2017

Cardinal George Pell, one of the most senior members of the Catholic Church, was charged with multiple historical sexual assault offenses in his home country of Australia, police said.

Pell serves as a top adviser to Pope Francis and is the Vatican’s top financial adviser. In 2013, he was named one of eight cardinals tasked with investigating ways to reform the church. He is the most senior member of the Catholic Church in Australia.

Pell said he’s innocent and maintains that the charges are false.

Earlier in the year, a commission found that 7% of Australian priests were accused of abusing children between 1950 and 2015.

Dominican Republic, 2014

Jozef Wesolowski, a former Vatican ambassador to the Dominican Republic was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors by a Vatican tribunal and defrocked in 2014. He was accused of sexual abuse of minors and possession of child pornography during his time as papal nuncio to the Dominican Republic. Italy’s Corriere della Sera reported that Wesolowski’s laptop contained more than 100,000 files with pornographic images and videos.

Wesolowski was the highest-ranking Catholic official arrested for alleged sexual abuse of minors. He died in 2015, before he could be put on trial.

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AUSTRALIA
WBUR

June 28, 2017

Barbara Campbell

Updated at 4:30 a.m. ET

Police in the Australian state of Victoria say they have charged Roman Catholic Cardinal George Pell with “historical sexual offenses.” The Archdiocese of Sydney says Pell will return from Vatican City, where he is the top financial adviser to Pope Francis, to fight the charges.

Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Patton would not give reporters specifics of the charges against Pell but said there are “multiple complainants.” He said the cardinal has been ordered to appear in court in Melbourne on July 18 for a hearing. Patton gave no further details.

At the Vatican Thursday, Pell told reporters that Pope Francis granted him a leave of absence from his post to travel to Australia to “clear my name.” He said he was the victim of “relentless character assassination.”

“I’m innocent of these charges,” he said, “they are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”

He’s the most senior Vatican official to ever be charged with sexual abuse, Reuters reports.

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AUSTRALIA/VATICAN CITY
U.S. News

By Byron Kaye and Philip Pullella

SYDNEY/VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Australian police charged a top adviser to Pope Francis with multiple historical sex crimes on Thursday, in a case that poses a dilemma for the pontiff who has vowed no tolerance for such offences.

Cardinal George Pell is the Vatican’s de facto treasury minister and is the highest-ranking Vatican official to be charged with sexual abuse.

He faces “multiple charges in respect of historic sexual offences” from multiple complainants, said police in the Australian state of Victoria, where Pell was a country priest in the 1970s.

The police did not specify the charges against Pell, 76, nor the ages of the alleged victims nor when the crimes were alleged to have occurred.

The Australian Catholic Church said in a statement that Pell strenuously denied the charges and planned to return to Australia to “clear his name”.

“He said he is looking forward to his day in court and will defend the charges vigorously,” the statement said. It also said his doctors would advise on his travel arrangements.

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AUSTRALIA
The New York Times

By JACQUELINE WILLIAMS
JUNE 28, 2017

SYDNEY, Australia — Australia’s senior Roman Catholic prelate, and one of Pope Francis’ top advisers, has been charged with sexual assault, the police in the Australian state of Victoria said on Thursday.

The prelate, Cardinal George Pell, became the highest-ranking Vatican official in recent years to face criminal charges involving accusations of sexual offenses. The case will test the credibility of Francis’ initiatives to foster greater accountability after abuse scandals that have shaken the church around the world.

“Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons, and he is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court” on July 18, Shane Patton, the deputy police commissioner, said at a news conference.

The charges were served on the cardinal’s legal representatives in Melbourne. Commissioner Patton said there were multiple complainants but refused to provide further details about them, including their ages.

“The process and procedures that are being followed in the charging of Cardinal Pell have been the same that have been applied in a whole range of historical sex offenses, whenever we investigate them,” Commissioner Patton added. “Cardinal Pell has been treated the same as anyone else.”

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AUSTRALIA
Telegraph (UK)

[with video]

Jonathan Pearlman, sydney
29 JUNE 2017

Police in Australia have charged Cardinal George Pell, one of the most powerful figures in the Vatican and Australia’s most senior Catholic, over historic sex assault offences.

In a stunning decision certain to rock the highest levels of the Holy See, police in the state of Victoria said there were multiple charges against Pell and the case involved “multiple complainants”.

Police have not yet revealed the details of the charges but said the cardinal was required to face court Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18.

“Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges and there are multiple complainants,” said Victoria police’s deputy commissioner Shane Patton.

“It is important to note that none of the allegations that have been made against Cardinal Pell have, obviously, been tested in any court yet,” Patton told reporters in Melbourne. “Cardinal Pell, like any other defendant, has a right to due process.”

Pell, Pope Francis’ top financial adviser, has repeatedly insisted he is innocent.

In a statement shortly after the announcement, the Catholic Church in Australia said Pell “strenuously denies” the charges.

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AUSTRALIE
de Volkskrant (Nederland)

In Australië wordt kardinaal George Pell vervolgd voor kindermisbruik. Dat bevestigt de politie van de Australische deelstaat Victoria. Pell is een van de belangrijkste financiële adviseurs van paus Franciscus. Hij geldt officieus als de nummer drie binnen de katholieke Kerk.

Door: Redactie 29 juni 2017, 02:47

De 76-jarige Pell is in rang de hoogste katholieke geestelijke die ooit voor seksueel misbruik is vervolgd. De geestelijke was vroeger aartsbisschop in Melbourne en in Sydney. Volgens politie-commissaris Shane Patton zou hij als jonge priester in de jaren 1970 en 1980 meerdere jongens seksueel hebben misbruikt.

De kardinaal heeft de beschuldigingen altijd ontkend. Hij werkte bovendien actief mee aan het onderzoek naar seksueel misbruik binnen de religieuze instituten in Australië. In diverse hoorzittingen verweerde hij zich tegen aantijgingen dat hij onvoldoende had opgetreden bij aanklachten van seksueel misbruik tijdens zijn tijd in Australië.

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VATICAN CITY
Catholic News Agency

by Elise Harris

Vatican City, Jun 28, 2017 / 07:47 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After years of fighting allegations of sexual abuse and negligence in handling abuse cases, Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s top finance man, will be charged on multiple counts of abuse, Australian police announced Wednesday.

Pell, who has fervently denied the allegations, will be charged on summons, and will be required to return to Melbourne in July order to answer the charges.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Victoria police were the ones who decided to charge the cardinal. In a June 29 statement, Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said Pell is facing “multiple charges in respect to historic sexual offenses,” which multiple complaints in each of the charges.

Due to heavy media speculation surrounding the investigation, Patton clarified that “the process and the procedures that have been followed in the charging of Cardinal Pell have been the same that have been applied in a whole range of historical sex offenses whenever we investigate them.”

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VATICAN CITY
The Australian

ELLEN WHINNETT AND LEXIE CARTWRIGHT IN VATICAN CITY
The Australian
June 29, 2017

Cardinal Pell insisted he was still co-operating with police as he left his home outside the Vatican last night as authorities prepared press charges.

Asked by News Corp if he would return to fight charges if required, he replied “I am co-operating.’’

He also indicated that he was aware of a development in the inquiry was imminent, but declined to say if he expected to be charged, saying “no comment’’.

Pope Francis yesterday held a ceremony inside St Peter’s Basilica to name to five new Cardinals, which Cardinal Pell, along with all the other cardinals, had been expected to attend.

However, he was seen coming and going from his home and it is not known if he attended the event on Wednesday afternoon Rome time.

Other cardinals, who attended the service wearing distinctive scarlet robes and hats, were mobbed by selfie-seeking tourists as they left the basilica.

A member of the Vatican security team accompanied Cardinal Pell as he left the building earlier in the morning, getting into his blue station wagon and leaving his apartment just outside St Peter’s Square. He said he had no update to provide on the police investigation.

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AUSTRALIA
Cootamundra Herald

Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s highest ranking Catholic, will face historical sex offences.

Victoria Police has confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons over multiple allegations and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a filing hearing.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton providing an update on an investigation:

A statement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said Cardinal Pell had been informed of Victoria Police’s “decision and action”.

“Cardinal Pell will return to Australia, as soon as possible, to clear his name following advice and approval by his doctors who will also advise on his travel arrangements.

“He said he is looking forward to his day in court and will defend the charges vigorously.

“He has again strenuously denied all allegations.”

Cardinal Pell is the third most senior Catholic at the Vatican, where he is responsible for the church’s finances.He is likely to step aside from his Vatican post while he fights the charges.

Victoria’s Deputy Police Commissioner, Shane Patton, confirmed in a brief press conference on Thursday morning that Cardinal Pell had been issued with multiple charges relating to historical sexual abuse allegations.

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AUSTRALIA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
29 Jun 2017

Victoria Police this morning confirmed that they have charged Cardinal George Pell with historical sexual assault offences. At a press conference, Victoria Police told media that Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons, and is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 18 July 2017 for a filing hearing.

At the press conference, Victoria police’s deputy commissioner Shane Patton said:

“It is important to note that none of the allegations that have been made against Cardinal Pell have obviously tested in any court yet. Cardinal Pell, like any other defendant, has a right to due process and so therefore, it’s important that the process is allowed to run its natural course.

“Preserving the integrity of that process is essential to all of us, and so for Victoria Police, it’s important that it’s allowed to go through unhindered and allowed to see natural justice is afforded to all the parties involved including Cardinal Pell and the complainants in this matter.”

Victoria Police will not be commenting further on the matter.

Following the announcement, Cardinal Pell issued an initial statement relating to the charges.

The statement reads:

INITIAL STATEMENT FROM CARDINAL GEORGE PELL FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHARGES

Although it is still in the early hours of the morning in Rome, Cardinal George Pell has been informed of the decision and action of Victoria Police.

He has again strenuously denied all allegations.

Cardinal Pell will return to Australia, as soon as possible, to clear his name following advice and approval by his doctors who will
also advise on his travel arrangements.

He said he is looking forward to his day in court and will defend the charges vigorously.

Cardinal Pell will make a further statement in Rome at the Holy See Press Office at 8.30am, Rome time, or 4.30pm AEST.

The statement is here.

Counseling is available from CatholicCare on 131819.

For information on safeguarding and protection of children protocols and complaint handling please contact the director of The Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office on 9390 5810.

For a summary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Policy on the care, well-being and protection of children and young people and for the Code of Conduct – Working with children and young people, please visit www.sydneycatholic.org/safeguarding.

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AUSTRALIA
Associated Press

SYDNEY (AP) — The Latest on Vatican Cardinal George Pell being charged with sex offenses in Australia (all times local):

11:35 a.m.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney says Vatican Cardinal George Pell will return to Australia to fight sexual assault charges as soon as possible.

The archdiocese statement released on his behalf said Pell “again strenuously denied all allegations” against him.

Victoria state police said earlier Thursday that Pell was being summonsed to face multiple charges of “historical sexual offenses,” meaning offenses that generally occurred some time ago. Pell was ordered to appear in court on July 18.

The archdiocese statement says Pell “is looking forward to his day in court and will defend the charges vigorously.”

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AUSTRALIA
Medicine Hat News

SYDNEY, Australia – The Latest on Vatican Cardinal George Pell being charged with sex offences in Australia (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

The leading support group for victims of sexual abuse by priests has called on Pope Francis to speak out about sexual assault charges filed in Australia against a key Vatican aide.

Survivors’ network SNAP noted that Francis had promised to work to “end the scourge of abuse by his clergy.”

The statement issued from SNAP’s headquarters in the United States called on anyone with additional information about the case of Cardinal George Pell to come forward. Police in the Australian state of Victoria said Thursday that Pell has been summoned to appear in court to face charges involving “historical sexual assault offences.” No details have been disclosed.

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AUSTRALIA
The Austrlaian

June 29, 2017

GREG BROWN
JournalistMelbourne
@gregbrown_TheOz

Melbourne University Press has taken steps to withdraw the book Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell in Victoria.

MUP chief executive Louise Adler said that the book, written by ABC journalist Louise Milligan, would not be sold in Victoria after Cardinal Pell was charged with historical child sex offences this morning.

It would remain on sale in other parts of the country.

“Melbourne University Press is taking all reasonable measures to remove the book from sale in Victoria,” Ms Adler said.

She said that the process of pulling the book from sale was “not a simple one” but that it was underway.

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AUSTRALIA
The New York Times

By JACQUELINE WILLIAMS
JUNE 28, 2017

SYDNEY, Australia — Australia’s senior Roman Catholic prelate, and one of Pope Francis’ top advisers, has been charged with sexual assault, the police in the Australian state of Victoria said on Thursday.

The prelate, Cardinal George Pell, became the highest-ranking Vatican official in recent years to face criminal charges involving accusations of sexual offenses.

“Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons, and he is required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court” on July 18, Shane Patton, the deputy police commissioner, said at a news conference.

The charges were served on the cardinal’s legal representatives in Melbourne. Commissioner Patton said there were multiple complainants, but refused to provide further details about them, including their ages.

Cardinal Pell, the Vatican’s de facto finance chief, had been accused in hearings before Australia’s Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse of mishandling misconduct cases against clergy members while he served as the leader of the Archdioceses of Melbourne and Sydney. Then allegations surfaced that he had sexually abused minors himself beginning early in his priesthood and continuing until he became archbishop of Melbourne. He has repeatedly denied the accusations.

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AUSTRALIA
Express (UK)

By VINCENT WOOD
Thu, Jun 29, 2017

Cardinal George Pell, 76 has been under investigation in his homeland since last year following allegations of sexual abuse.

Victoria police’s deputy commissioner Shane Patton said: “Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges and there are multiple complainants.”

The Cardinal has repeatedly denied allegations against him, previously defending the possibility of charges saying: “I’d just like to restate my innocence.

“I stand by everything I’ve said at the royal commission [on child sexual abuse] and in other places.

“We have to respect due process, wait until it’s concluded and obviously I’ll continue to cooperate fully.”

Last year the Pope confirmed he would withhold judgement on his Justice minister until the Australian justice system handed down their ruling.

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AUSTRALIA
The Age

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.

His career

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

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AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail

[with video]

By Brianne Tolj For Daily Mail Australia

The third most senior cardinal in the Catholic Church has been charged with historic child sex offences stemming from multiple complainants.

Australia’s Cardinal George Pell, 76, has been summonsed to Australia from Rome after being charged by police and is due before Melbourne Magistrates court on July 18.

The charges have been presented to Cardinal Pell’s legal team and lodged with the court, Victoria police revealed on Thursday.

Cardinal Pell has been accused of sexually abusing and grooming boys.

The allegations date back to when Pell was a priest in Ballarat, Victoria, and Archbishop of Melbourne.

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AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Melissa Davey
Wednesday 28 June 2017

Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic and the third-ranking official in the Vatican, has been charged with multiple sexual offences by police.

The charges were served on Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne on Thursday and they have been lodged also at Melbourne magistrates court. He will appear at Melbourne magistrates court on 18 July.

“Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges and there are multiple complainants,” Victoria police’s deputy commissioner Shane Patton said.

Pell is the highest-ranking Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal.

Pell has consistently denied all allegations against him. After the possibility of his being charged was raised publicly, Pell told reporters: “I’d just like to restate my innocence.”

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AUSTRALIA
Reuters

Australian police said on Thursday they have charged the Vatican’s treasurer, Australian Cardinal George Pell, with multiple sexual assault offences.

“Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges in respect of historic sexual offences,” Victoria state police deputy commissioner Shane Patton told a news conference in Melbourne.

“There are multiple complainants relating to those charges,” he said. Pell was charged by summons to appear before a Melbourne court on July 18, Patton said.

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AUSTRALIA
BBC News

Australia’s most senior Catholic figure, Cardinal George Pell, has been charged with sex offences.

The charges relate to alleged “historical” incidents, police in the Australian state of Victoria said on Thursday.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the allegations were made by more than one person.

Cardinal Pell has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

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AUSTRALIA
Associated Press

BY KRISTEN GELINEAU
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SYDNEY (AP) — Australian police charged a top Vatican cardinal on Thursday with multiple counts of historical sexual assault offenses, a stunning decision certain to rock the highest levels of the Holy See.

Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ chief financial adviser and Australia’s most senior Catholic, is the highest-ranking Vatican official to ever be charged in the church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal.

Victoria state Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said police have summonsed Pell to appear in an Australian court to face multiple charges of “historic sexual offenses,” meaning offenses that generally occurred some time ago. Patton said there are multiple complainants against Pell, but gave no other details on the allegations against the cardinal. Pell was ordered to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18.

Pell has repeatedly denied all abuse allegations made against him. The Catholic Church in Australia, which issues statements on Pell’s behalf, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges.

“It is important to note that none of the allegations that have been made against Cardinal Pell have, obviously, been tested in any court yet,” Patton told reporters in Melbourne. “Cardinal Pell, like any other defendant, has a right to due process.”

The charges are a new and serious blow to Pope Francis, who has already suffered several credibility setbacks in his promised “zero tolerance” policy about sex abuse.

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AUSTRALIA
9 News

[with video]

Australia’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has been charged on summons with historical sexual assault offences.

Victoria Police today announced Cardinal Pell is facing multiple charges in relation to multiple complainants.

He will appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court in July this year for a filing hearing.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said a summons had been served on Cardinal Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne.

“Cardinal Pell has been treated the same as anyone else in this investigation,” Mr Patton said.

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian

June 29, 2017

JOHN FERGUSON
Victorian EditorMelbourne
@fergusonjw

JACQUELIN MAGNAY
Foreign correspondentEurope
@jacquelinmagnay

UPDATE: Cardinal George Pell has been charged on summons with historic sex offences.

During a brief press conference, Deputy commissioner Shane Patton confirmed that the high-ranking Catholic Church official was facing multiple charges and there were multiple complainants.

He has been charged on summons, with documents served on his Melbourne legal representatives and lodged at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, where he will appear on July 18 for a filing hearing.

Deputy commissioner Patton acknowledged the intense public interest in the case and said the investigation into Cardinal Pell had followed the same procedure as all historic cases of sex abuse.

He said the decision to lay charges was made by police.

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AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

[with video]

Nino Bucci Tom Cowie

Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s highest ranking Catholic will face at least three serious sex assault charges, including at least one count of rape.

Victoria Police has confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons over multiple allegations and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a filing hearing.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed in a brief press conference that Cardinal Pell had been issued with multiple charges relating to historic sexual abuse allegations.

The charges were served on Cardinal Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne on Thursday, Mr Patton said.

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AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun

Keith Moor and Shannon Deery, Herald Sun

CARDINAL George Pell has been charged with multiple child sex offences relating to multiple complainants.

Cardinal Pell has been ordered to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the choice to charge Cardinal Pell was one made by Victoria Police.

Police did not reveal the exact charges being faced by the Cardinal.

It is not yet clear whether the 76-year-old cardinal will return home to fight the charges, or whether authorities will need to seek to extradite him.

The decision to charge the Cardinal ends months of speculation and will have enormous implications for the Catholic Church here and overseas, with Cardinal Pell just a couple of rungs below the Pope on its hierarchy ladder.

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AUSTRALIA
ABC News

Cardinal George Pell has been charged with multiple counts of historical sexual assault offences.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton from Victoria Police said the Vatican-based Cardinal was required to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18.

He said the charges were served on Cadinal Pell’s legal representatives in Melbourne, and that they involved multiple complainants.

Last July, police confirmed they were formally investigating complaints about offences that are alleged to have occurred in Ballarat in the 1970s.

Cardinal Pell has always maintained his innocence and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

“The allegations are untrue, I deny them absolutely,” Cardinal Pell said in July.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Premier

Wed 28 Jun 2017
By Tola Mbakwe

A week after a review found that the Church of England concealed abuse of children by Bishop Peter Ball; his survivors are calling for changes in the Church.

They have written a letter asking for Lord George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, to be criminally investigated.

Published in the Times, it reads: “Following the Gibb report on this case… three issues require urgent attention. First, the police must investigate whether Lord Carey of Clifton deliberately concealed evidence.

“If so, Lord Carey must forfeit his right to sit in the House of Lords. It is unacceptable that someone involved in concealing evidence of criminality should have a role in making laws for others”.

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MARYLAND
The Baltimore Sun

Alison Knezevich
The Baltimore Sun

Jean Hargadon Wehner keeps her guard up when she leaves her home.

As a rape survivor, “I have a certain way that I move in public, kind of a protected” way, Wehner says.

So it’s been somewhat unnerving — but at the same time encouraging —that strangers have approached the Howard County woman over the past month in places like the grocery store.

They recognize her from the Netflix documentary “The Keepers,” which focuses on sexual abuse at her alma mater, Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, and the unsolved 1969 homicide of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik, who taught there.

“I wanted people to know that they’re not alone, and what it’s done is it’s made me feel like I’m not alone,” Wehner, 63, said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun, her first comments to Baltimore media since the series debuted.

Wehner, who graduated from Keough in 1971, has a central role in the seven-part series. She first came forward in 1992 with allegations that the school’s former counselor and chaplain, A. Joseph Maskell, had repeatedly raped her when she was a student. In the series, she describes how she confided in Cesnik that she was abused — and says Maskell took her to see the nun’s body.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Catholic

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

By William Cone Editor

Auditors from StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, New York, plan to visit the Diocese of Pittsburgh soon to interview people and do spot inspections in parishes to examine compliance with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

The diocese participates in a paper audit every year, and every third year a group from StoneBridge spends a week auditing safe environment policies and procedures, said Phyllis Haney, director of the diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Young People. The last on-site audit was in October 2014.

“They will be talking with everyone involved with safe environments and going out to audit about 10 parishes/schools for compliance,” she said.

“We have to provide data based on each article of the charter,” Haney said. “When the auditors come here, we provide them with the documentation that backs up the data.”

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VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

By Josephine McKenna

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis has defrocked an Italian priest who was found guilty of child sex abuse, three years after overturning predecessor Benedict XVI’s decision to do the same after allegations against the priest first came to light.

Mauro Inzoli, 67, was initially defrocked in 2012 after he was first accused of abusing minors, but Francis reversed that decision in 2014, ordering the priest to stay away from children and retire to “a life of prayer and humble discretion.”

On Wednesday (June 28), the priest’s diocese of Crema in northern Italy released a statement saying the pope had made a “definitive ruling” that Inzoli, also known as Don Mauro, should be dismissed from clerical duties.

Bishop Daniele Gianotti of Crema said the Vatican body responsible for church doctrine informed him of the pope’s decision, which Gianotti described as “the worst punishment” to be imposed on a priest.

“We cannot assume that the pope made such a serious decision without carefully examining all the elements in front of God, before making a choice for the good of the church and Don Mauro,” said Gianotti on the diocese website.

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SCOTLAND
Lexology

Slater & Gordon

United Kingdom June 27 2017
The three-year time limit on cases of childhood abuse has been lifted by Scottish Parliament.

This is a monumental step forward for survivors of abuse who previously may not have been able to bring civil claims for damages.

The time bar has been removed by the Limitation (Childhood Abuse) Bill, which was unanimously approved when MSPs voted.

This is an incredibly important milestone in legislation surrounding abuse claims and a positive step forward in getting justice for survivors of abuse in Scotland.

Click here to view the video.

What Does The Bill Mean?

Survivors of abuse will now be able to seek compensation for their injuries in the civil courts, if the abuse dates back to 1964 or they were under the age of 18 at the time of sexual, physical or emotional abuse.

Previously, victims could only seek a personal injury claim up to three years after the abuse had taken placed, due to the strict interpretation of the “time bar”. This restriction has since been removed.

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NEW JERSEY
Asbury Park Press

Payton Guion, Alex N. Gecan and Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press June 28, 2017

LAKEWOOD – Six people were arrested Tuesday night in federal and state raids in connection with an ongoing investigation that has so far exposed about $2 million in alleged public-assistance fraud in the town.

State authorities raided three homes Tuesday night, after raiding four homes and arresting eight people Monday on charges of stealing $1.3 million in public assistance.

Each of the six people arrested Tuesday is facing a charge of second-degree theft by deception, a state crime, according to a prepared statement from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. …

Those arrested Tuesday were Yitzchok and Sora Kanarek, of 15 Brisk Lane; Chaim and Liatt Ehrman, of 501 Twin Oaks Drive; and William and Faigy Friedman, of 36 Leigh Drive.

The Kanareks wrongfully collected $339,002.56 in Medicaid, nutrition assistance, Social Security and federal housing funds, according to the prosecutor’s office. The Ehrman’s brought in $185,692.22 in improper Medicaid, nutrition assistance, utilities assistance and Sandy relief funds and the Friedmans bilked $149,842.28 in Medicaid, food, energy and housing funds, according to the prosecutor’s office. …

Yitzchok Kanarek is the former rabbi of Oros Yisroel, a school for special-needs students that closed in 2015 due to federal and state tax liens of more than $295,000, according to public records.

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NEW JERSEY
NJ.com

BY ALEX NAPOLIELLO AND JESSICA REMO
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

LAKEWOOD — Authorities arrested three more Lakewood residents Tuesday night in a continued effort to crack down on residents suspected of defrauding government-assistance programs, officials announced Wednesday morning.

The raids, conducted just before midnight, come on the heels of a massive bust on Monday morning that led to the arrests of eight Lakewood residents — four married couples — who allegedly bilked the government out of $1.3 million in illegal benefits.

Arrested on Tuesday night were Yitzchok, 33, and Sora, 39, Kanarek of Brisk Lane; Chaim, 40, and Liatt, 39, Ehrman, of Twin Oaks Drive; and William, 45, and Faigy, 40, Friedman, of Leigh Drive, according to a joint statement from Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and State Comptroller Philip James Degnan. …

Yitzchok Kanarek is the former rabbi of a special-needs school that closed in 2015 due to a $295,000 tax lien, according to a report from the Asbury Park Press.

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MALTA
Malta Independent

A Gozitan priest was given a suspended sentence after he was found guilty of sexual offences against three girls.

The priest was sentenced to a jail term of one year suspended for three years.

Jesmond Gauci, 44, from Xagħra, was charged with having committed lewd acts and having violently and indecently assaulted the girls. He was also accused of harassing the youngsters through allegedly offensive mobile and Facebook messages.

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VATICAN
24 Heures

Vatican
Un prêtre surnommé «don Mercedes» pour ses goûts de luxe a été réduit à l’état laïc. Il avait été condamné en 2016 pour avoir abusé de cinq jeunes.

Le pape François a défroqué Don Mauro Inzoli, un prêtre italien condamné pour pédophilie et surnommé «don Mercedes» par la presse italienne pour son goût du luxe, a annoncé mercredi son diocèse.

«J’ai reçu ces derniers jours de la part de la Congrégation pour la doctrine de la foi une information concernant la décision prise par le pape François de manière définitive de démettre don Mauro Inzoli de l’état clérical», a indiqué l’évêque Daniel sur le site du diocèse de Crema, dans le nord de l’Italie, non loin de Milan.

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CITTA’ DEL VATICANO
La Repubblica

Ridotto per sempre allo stato laicale. Dopo la condanna penale per pedofilia, arriva il provvedimento del papa per don Mauro Inzoli, sacerdote di Comunione e Liberazione, ex responsabile della Compagnia delle Opere di Cremona e Crema. Lo annuncia il vescovo di Crema, Daniele Gianotti, in una lettera ai fedeli.

“Nei giorni scorsi – scrive Gianotti – la congregazione per la dottrina della fede mi ha comunicato la decisione, presa da papa Francesco il 20 maggio scorso con sentenza definitiva, di dimettere don Mauro Inzoli dallo stato clericale”. Coinvolto in un’inchiesta penale, oltre che in quella all’interno della comunità religiosa, il prete è stato condannato a quattro anni e nove mesi per pedofilia e al divieto di avvicinarsi a luoghi frequentati da minori. Nelle motivazioni della sentenza, si precisava che gli abusi avvenivano anche durante le confessioni. Il sacerdote era già stato sospeso dalla congregazione per la dottrina della fede.

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VATICAN CITY
Channel News Asia

AFP

Pope Francis has defrocked an Italian priest found guilty of the sexual abuse of minors, reversing an earlier decision to reduce his punishment, the diocese at the heart of the scandal said Wednesday.

ROME: Pope Francis has defrocked an Italian priest found guilty of the sexual abuse of minors, reversing an earlier decision to reduce his punishment, the diocese at the heart of the scandal said Wednesday (Jun 28).

Mauro Inzoli, 67, was defrocked in 2012 after he was first accused of paedophilia, but that decision was reversed in 2014, when Pope Francis ordered him to stay away from minors and retire to “a life of prayer and humble discretion”.

On Wednesday the diocese of Crema in northern Italy said Francis had “ruled definitively” on May 20 that Inzoli – sentenced to nearly five years in prison last year for sex abuse – would be stripped of his clerical status.

The priest, dubbed “Don Mercedes” by the press for his penchant for luxury cars, was found guilty by a Cremona court of eight counts of sexual abuse of children aged 12 to 16 years old between 2004 and 2008.

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MALTA
Malta Today

Jeanelle MIfsud 28 June 2017

Xaghra priest Jesmond Gauci has been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for three years after being found guilty of molesting a 13-year-old girl.

The 45-year-old was however found not guilty of having sexual relations with the girl as well as with two other minors. He was also cleared of defilement and of misuse of means of communication.

Police opened investigations into the priest after a letter was sent to Gozo Bishop Mario Grech, informing him of alleged abuse of minors.

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MALTA
Times of Malta

A Gozitan priest who committed violent indecent assault against a child has received a suspended sentence.

The priest was condemned to a jail term of one year suspended for three years after facing sexual offence accusations related to three underage girls.

Jesmond Gauci, 44, from Xagħra, was charged with having committed lewd acts against his victims and having violently and indecently assaulted the girls. He was also accused of harassing the youngsters through allegedly offensive mobile and Facebook messages.

The whole affair had come to light when the Gozo Bishop filed a police report over the sexual abuse of a minor by a priest from the diocese.

Police investigations led to the arraignment of the priest, who at the time of the alleged wrongdoing in 2014 were still minors.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register

Celeste Behe

I recently reconnected with an old friend and fellow parishioner named Kate. Kate and I hadn’t seen each other in years, so after chancing to meet, we arranged to get together the following week to chat and catch up.

Over coffee, Kate told me why I hadn’t been seeing her at Mass.

“I am so mad at the Catholic Church,” she said bitterly. “What those priests did to those kids… I still can’t believe what went on. Now whenever I see a priest I’m reminded of the awful things that happened. What’s the point of going to Mass if all I do there is get upset?”

Flustered by Kate’s outburst, I had a hard time gathering my thoughts. But I did point out that the sexual abuse of children isn’t a bigger problem in the Catholic Church than it is elsewhere. And I reminded Kate that Mass isn’t about the priest or even the liturgy, but about the Eucharist.

Still, my reply was uncompelling at best. As Kate listened skeptically to my clumsy defense of the Church, I could practically hear her thinking, “Celeste, those poor abused kids could have been yours.

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AUSTRALIA
The Age

Robyn Grace

A paedophile priest was seen covered in blood on the day of the frenzied stabbing murder of a mother in the back of her Thornbury bookshop, a new report has revealed.

The ABC uncovered the new information in its podcast Trace, which attempts to shine new light on the 1980 cold case murder of Maria James.

Ms James, 38, was stabbed 68 times in her home at the back of the bookshop.

Electrician Allan Hircoe told the podcast he had seen Father Anthony Bongiorno on the day of the murder with blood on his face and both hands, just 50 metres from the crime scene.

Mr Hircoe said the priest had told him he’d cut himself on a wire fence.

When he returned from retrieving his first-aid kit, Bongiorno was gone.

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FIJI
Fiji Sun

by Nemani Delaibatiki, SUVA

Suva High Court Judge Salesi Temo spoke out clearly on the seriousness of sexual offences like rape.

When he sentenced Pastor Jone Rabuno Cokanauto yesterday to 20 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 19 years in prison, he said the sentence was to punish the pastor “in a manner that is just in all circumstances.”

He said it was also designed to protect the community “from people like you.”

He also warned religious leaders who distorted the teaching of the holy books to advance their evil sexual desires.

“The court will come down hard on you. The sentence is also to signify that the court and the community denounce what you did to the four complainants from 2005 to 2012.”

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ROME
Bendigo Advertiser

Desmond O’Grady
28 Jun 2017

Rome: The spotlight is on Cardinal George Pell’s Secretariat for the Economy following the unexpected resignation of the Vatican’s Auditor-General Libero Milone.

Milone who had an autonomous role in Pell’s office, was appointed two years ago for a five-year term after an executive search to audit the city state’s financial dealings. Pell was appointed in 2014 to establish the secretariat and untangle the Vatican finances.

Only three months ago, Milone gave an enthusiastic interview with no suggestion that he might leave before the end of his term. Then he said he had at last acquired adequate knowledge of the complex network of 142 Vatican entities. He had a 12-member, all lay staff, half of whom are women.

No reason was given for his abrupt resignation last week but one possibility is clashes of opinion with Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, head of the Vatican’s central bank APSA which administers the Vatican’s real estate and financial holdings.

Calcagno has never welcomed Pell’s role as an overseer of Vatican financial operations. In May Calcagno’s office informed other Vatican offices that they should report on their financial dealings to the financial services firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers which has been working with the Vatican.

Pell and Milone hit back publicly with a strongly worded bulletin saying that checking Vatican finances was their responsibility and no reports should be sent to PwC.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Times

Sean O’Neill, Chief Reporter
June 28 2017
The Times

The public inquiry into child abuse has spent £35 million in two years without producing a single report.

Figures published yesterday by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) show expenditure of £20.8 million in 2016-17 including more than £9 million on staff and £5.1 million on lawyers.

Salary costs include £165,000 in pay and allowances to the New Zealander Dame Lowell Goddard from April 1 last year until her abrupt resignation as chairwoman on August 4.

Dame Lowell, who has denied allegations of misconduct during her period in office, also cost the inquiry £41,750 in travel, including for flights home with her family. Her successor, Alexis Jay, received £148,000 in salary, allowances and expenses from August until March.

The expenditure will anger abuse victims who campaigned for it to be established but are increasingly dismayed by the perceived lack of progress. Two survivors’ groups have withdrawn, saying they have lost confidence in its ability to discover the truth or make recommendations.

Only one set of substantive hearings has taken place, into the suffering of children sent to schools in Australia under state-approved migration programmes. That section of the inquiry is scheduled to resume public hearings next month.

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UNITED STATES
Daily Mail

By JESSICA CHIA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The son of a New York Mafia boss has warned that the Vatican will come to rue the day it excommunicates members of the famed Cosa Nostra, due to its protective role in Italy.

Pope Francis has taken a hard line against mobsters, saying they are destined to hell, and the Vatican hosted a conference earlier this month to consider a new legal doctrine for the Catholic Church to drive out people convicted of mafia-related crimes.

Giovanni Gambino, the son of a key figure in the Gambino crime syndicate, told Dailymail.com: ‘Pope Francis considers excommunicating the mafia…in the meantime, priests accused of sex abuse get a second chance in South America.’

Gambino also added that the mafia has played a crucial role in protecting Italy from ISIS – and that without it, the Vatican would likely cease to exist.

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