EDITOR’S SPACE: Beyond Cardinal Pell

BROOKLYN (NY)
The Tablet (Brooklyn diocesan news outlet)

August 28, 2019

By Jorge I. Dominguez-Lopez

On Aug. 21, in a 2-1 decision, the conviction of Cardinal George Pell was upheld by the Victoria state Court of Appeal in Melbourne, Australia.

Cardinal Pell is the most senior Catholic official ever to be found guilty of sexual abuse.

In 2014, he was named prefect of the newly created Secretariat for Economy at the Vatican. He also became a member of the Council of Cardinals, a small group of prelates appointed by Pope Francis as his advisers. Cardinal Pell was a member of the council until last December.

Shortly after the verdict was announced, the Holy See’s press office published a statement reiterating “its respect for the Australian judicial system,” but also stating that “the Cardinal has always maintained his innocence throughout the judicial process and that it is his right to appeal to the High Court.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.