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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