Cardinal George Pell

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Cardinal Pell, Convicted Then Cleared of Child Sex Abuse, Dead at 81

Cardinal George Pell suffered heart complications following hip surgery

(Newser) - Cardinal George Pell, a onetime financial adviser to Pope Francis who spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia on child sex abuse charges before his convictions were unanimously overturned , died Tuesday in Rome. He was 81, the AP reports. Pell suffered fatal heart complications following hip surgery,...

Highest-Ranking Catholic Convicted of Sex Abuse Is a Free Man

Cardinal George Pell cleared of child sex abuse, released from prison Tuesday

(Newser) - Australia's highest court on Tuesday dismissed the convictions of the most senior Catholic found guilty of child sex crimes, the AP reports. Cardinal George Pell welcomed the news and said his trial had not been a referendum on the Catholic Church’s handling of the clergy sex abuse crisis....

Child Sex Convictions Upheld for Former Vatican No. 3

Pell to be stripped of Order of Australia honor

(Newser) - An Australian appeals court by a 2-1 ruling Wednesday upheld convictions against Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic to be found guilty of sexually abusing children . The Victoria state Court of Appeal rejected Pell's appeal of a unanimous jury verdict in December that he was guilty of molesting...

Former Vatican No. 3 Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

6 years isn't long enough, victim's father says

(Newser) - The most senior Catholic ever convicted of child sex abuse is on his way to an Australian prison, and a judge acknowledged Tuesday that there is a strong chance Cardinal George Pell will die there. Victoria state County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd sentenced the 77-year-old to six years in...

Cardinal's Lawyer Sorry for Referring to Rape as 'Vanilla'

Robert Richter issues apology after 'sleepless night'

(Newser) - The defense lawyer for the man who was once the third highest-ranking official in the Catholic Church—and who's now awaiting sentencing for attacks on two 13-year-old choirboys in Australia—is apologizing for referring to the crimes as "plain" and "vanilla." The assaults by George Pell,...

Judge Sends Disgraced Cardinal to Prison

He was unswayed by reference from ex-PM

(Newser) - The former third highest-ranking official in the Catholic Church is now the newest inmate in the Melbourne Assessment Prison. Cardinal George Pell, who has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two children , will spend his first night behind bars Wednesday after being remanded into custody pending sentencing, reports Reuters . The...

3rd Highest-Ranking Catholic Convicted of Abusing Children

Cardinal George Pell, who has been a close adviser to the pope, faces prison in Australia

(Newser) - One of the most powerful men in the Roman Catholic Church, a close adviser to the pope, has been convicted of child sexual abuse. A jury found Australian Cardinal George Pell guilty of one count of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16 and four charges of an...

Australia to Child Sex Abuse Victims: 'We Say Sorry'

'Today as a nation we confront our failure to listen, to believe, and to provide justice'

(Newser) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison delivered a formal apology on Monday to Australia's victims of child sex abuse, saying the nation must acknowledge their long, painful journey and say sorry. His emotional speech delivered in Parliament before hundreds of survivors followed the conclusions of a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses...

World's No. 3 Catholic Faces Sexual Assault Trial

George Pell pleads not guilty

(Newser) - A judge has ordered Cardinal George Pell to stand trial on sexual assault charges, making him the most senior Catholic ever to be tried in connection with the church's sex scandals. Pell—Australia's most senior Catholic and, as Vatican treasurer, the church's No. 3 official worldwide—formally...

Vatican's No. 3 Leaves Rome to Face Sexual Assault Charges

Cardinal George Pell arrived in Australia on Monday

(Newser) - The most senior Vatican cleric to ever be charged in the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal returned to Australia on Monday to stand trial in his home state on charges alleging he sexually assaulted multiple people years ago. Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis' top financial adviser, avoided waiting media...

Vatican's No. 3 Official Charged With 'Historical' Sex Crimes

Cardinal George Pell denies accusations

(Newser) - Cardinal George Pell, the third highest-ranking Vatican official, has long been accused of mishandling the church's response to clergy abuse scandals in his native Australia. Police in Victoria state now say he might have been one of the abusers. Australian police say the 76-year-old Vatican treasurer faces "multiple...

Shocking Scale of Priest Sex Abuse in Australia Revealed

7% of Catholic priests were accused of abusing children

(Newser) - A staggering 7% of priests in Australia's Catholic Church were accused of sexually abusing children between 1950 and 2010, a lawyer said Monday as officials investigating institutional abuse across Australia revealed for the first time the extent of the crisis. The statistics were released during the opening address of...

Vatican Uncovers Hundreds of Millions 'Tucked Away'

Finance chief says balance sheet 'healthier than thought'

(Newser) - In what skeptics might say sounds suspiciously like a financial miracle, the Vatican has uncovered huge sums of money "tucked away" in accounts that didn't appear on the main balance sheets. "We have discovered that the situation is much healthier than it seemed, because some hundreds of...

Pope Meets With Abuse Victims
 Pope Meets With Abuse Victims 
Jul 21, 2008 2:14 AM CDT

Pope Meets With Abuse Victims

Offers consolation, apologies

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI met privately today with four victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Australia, celebrated mass with them, listened to their stories and consoled them before flying out of the country, reports the Australian. The meeting with the two men and two women came a day after...

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