AUSTRALIA
The Associated Press
August 15, 2019
An Australian court will rule next Wednesday on the appeal for Cardinal George Pell on his five convictions for molesting two choirboys in a cathedral more than two decades ago.
Some events in Pell’s career and the criminal case:
July 16, 1996: Auxiliary Bishop George Pell is appointed Archbishop of Melbourne. He molests two choir boys that December inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, according to testimony from one of the victims.
March 26, 2001: Pell becomes Archbishop of Sydney.
Oct. 21, 2003: Pope John Paul II makes Pell a cardinal.
Feb. 25, 2014: Pope Francis appoints Pell to the powerful position of Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.
April 8, 2014: One of the molested choirboys dies of a heroin overdose without alleging the crime and having told his mother he had not been abused.
Aug. 5, 2014: Victoria state police establish Task Force Sano to investigate how religious and other nongovernment organizations handled abuse accusations.
June 18, 2015: The surviving choirboy gives his first statement to Sano detectives outlining criminal allegations against Pell.
Dec. 12, 2015: Australian media report that Pell has canceled an appearance before an Australian inquiry into how institutions responded to child sexual abuse. Pell said he could not fly back to Australia because of ill health.
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