Pope praises Cardinal Pell for persevering in times of personal trials
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Cardinal George Pell (left) at a private audience with Pope Francis on Oct 12, 2020.
PHOTO: REUTERS
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Wednesday praised the late Australian Cardinal George Pell for persevering in trying times, a reference to when Cardinal Pell spent more than a year in prison on child sexual abuse accusations
In an Italian-language message sent to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis also thanked Cardinal Pell for laying the groundwork for economic reform in the Vatican with “determination and wisdom”.
One of the most powerful figures in the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Pell died at the age of 81 on Tuesday in Rome
In 2019, he was sentenced to six years in prison and registered as a sex offender. He spent 12 months in Barwon Prison near Melbourne before the Australian High Court quashed his convictions on appeal, opening the door for his return to Rome in late 2020.
Although cleared by the courts, a separate government inquiry criticised Cardinal Pell’s indifference to sexual abuse claims inside Australia’s Catholic Church. REUTERS
