They condemn Cardinal Pell, number 3 of the …

Australian Cardinal George Pell, number three of the Vatican, was found guilty of badual abuse on two minors, thus becoming the highest official of the Catholic Church convicted in a case of pedophilia.

The court in Melbourne (South Australia) has declared the 77-year-old cardinal guilty of badual badault and four other indecent badaults on two older altar boys aged 12 and 13, for events that occurred in the sacristy of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne in the 1990s. Pell was convicted, among other things, of having forced one of the victims to have oral bad and being badd in front of each other.

The prelate initially rejected these accusations and the jury had not yet rendered its decision at a first trial in September, but had been convicted at a new trial on December 11. The Melbourne court then pbaded a "suppression order" prohibiting the media from mentioning the case, on pain of prosecution.

This forced silence was imposed in order to protect the jury from a second trial in which Cardinal Pell was to be tried for other alleged crimes. However, the prosecution decided to abandon the second trial, which led to Tuesday's lifting of media silence on the first case and allowing it to announce the verdict of guilty.

The Vatican on Tuesday expressed "deep respect" for Australian justice after his conviction. "This is painful news that, to our knowledge, has shocked many people, not just in Australia, we reaffirm our deep respect for the Australian judicial authorities," the Vatican said in a statement read by his spokesman . Alessandro Gisotti

"In the name of this respect, we are now awaiting the outcome of the appeal, recalling that Cardinal Pell has reaffirmed his innocence," the Vatican added.

Pope Francis confirmed the preventive prohibition of the public exercise of priestly ministry for Pell and the contact, in any form whatsoever, with minors. "To guarantee the course of justice, the pope has confirmed the precautionary measures already offered to Cardinal Pell since his return to Australia, that is to say, until the facts are finally confirmed in Pell, the exercise the public is provisionally prohibited from the priestly ministry and from contacts in any form with minors, "said Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti.