George Pell, Vatican number 3, has been found guilty of sexual abuse of minors

Pell is the chief financial adviser to Pope Francis and the Vatican Minister of Economy. He was sentenced by an Australian court to badually abuse two 13-year-old children. He runs the risk of being sentenced to 50 years in prison. .

The verdict of the 12-member jury of the Victoria County County Court was rendered on December 11, after more than two days of deliberation, but it has just been released today. .

According to the decision, Pell, 77, abused two young choirs after celebrating Mbad at Melbourne's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1996, at the age of 55. The jury also found Pell guilty of indecently badaulting one of the children in a hallway more than a month later.

The sentencing hearing will begin tomorrow. The cardinal pleads innocent and his lawyer plans to appeal the sentence.

Meanwhile, the Vatican has received the sentence as "A painful news, of which we are aware, has shocked many people, not only in Australia. As we have said on other occasions, we reiterate our highest respect for the Australian judicial authorities. In the name of this respect, we recall that Cardinal (George) Pell has reiterated his innocence and has the right to defend himself until the last instance."This has been declared by the director of the Vatican Press Room, Alessandro Gisotti, after the conviction for mistreatment of minors against Cardinal Pell.