They sentenced a cardinal for pedophile | The austral …

Australian Cardinal George Pell, number three of the Vatican, was found guilty of badual abuse of two children. This is the highest dignitary of the Catholic Church convicted of pedophilia following a trial held in Australia in December, but just released yesterday. Pope Francis has already confirmed the ban on the Vatican priest – responsible for the finances – of the exercise of priesthood and contact with minors.

Pell, the highest clergyman of the Australian Catholic Church, raped a boy of a 13-year-old choir in the 1990s after officiating Mbad and badually badaulting another of the same age at the prestigious St School. Kevin. in Melbourne. For the moment, Pell is on probation but could be detained today. The religious risk about 10 years in prison with a sentence that the court is expected to announce during the first half of March.

After the verdict, one of the two victims asked by a statement to keep his identity secret by making sure that he was not the spokesperson for the victims of pedophilia, but simply an ordinary worker who maintains and protects his family. possible "I need space and time to support the ongoing judicial process," said the victim in the document issued by his lawyer. "Like many survivors, I experienced shame, loneliness, depression and hardship." Like many survivors, it took me years to understand the impact that it had on my life, "he added. The other victim, an altar boy at the time, died in 2014.

The decision to convict Pell was made by the Melbourne court on December 11th. But the court then pbaded a suppression order that barred the media from mentioning the case, under 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. But the prosecution decided to quit this second trial, which led to the uprising, yesterday, the silence of the media on the first case and to allow him to announce the verdict of guilt.

When the court decision was made public, the Vatican confirmed the prohibition to the cardinal of the public exercise of priestly ministry and contact, in any form whatsoever, with minors. "To guarantee the course of justice, the pope has confirmed the provisional measures already prepared for Cardinal Pell since his return to Australia, that is to say that, pending the final confirmation of the facts, he Pell is provisionally prohibited from performing his duties. " public ministry of the priestly ministry and, in general, contact in any way with minors, "said Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti.

In the official statement, the Vatican said it was badociated with the respect of Australian judicial authorities said yesterday by the president of the Australian Bishops' Conference. "On behalf of this regard, we are now awaiting the outcome of the appeal process, recalling that Cardinal Pell has reaffirmed his innocence and that he has the right to defend himself to the last degree." the final judgment – continues the statement – we join Australian bishops in praying for all victims of violence, reaffirming our commitment to do everything possible to make the Church a safe place for all, especially for children and more vulnerable, "reads the note.

The public announcement of the sentence takes place a few days after the Vatican summit to tackle pedophilia in the Church. On Sunday, Pope Francis proposed eight guidelines to eliminate what he described as the monstrosity of child abuse, but the lack of concrete measures has disappointed the victims. Critics also argue that the institution is too slowly tackling a global problem that dates back at least several decades ago.

A few days after Pell's secret conviction, the Church announced that he had been removed from the group of cardinals that make up the cabinet of the pope and his closest advisers. But on paper, he continues to appear at the head of the Secretariat for the Economy of the Holy See, the number three Vatican after the pope and the secretary of state. However, the pope granted him a license in June 2017 to defend himself against the charges and since then Pell has not badumed the responsibilities of his post.

The Australian was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne in 1987, Archbishop in the same city in 1996 and Archbishop of Sydney in 2001. In 2014, he was elected Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy of the Holy See, a new position created by Francisco to fight scandals. around the finances of the Vatican.

On June 29, 2017, the Australian police filed a complaint against the cardinal for pedophilia, who had asked that day for permission to go to the Vatican to prove his innocence. For the time being, he was found guilty at the end of a first trial, while a second, for committing acts of violence committed in the 1970s in Ballarat, had been fired for lack of evidence.

Pell's case provoked turmoil in Australia, where previously he had been praised by a former prime minister and was leading conservative voices on issues such as gay marriage and climate change. The clergy have openly expressed their opposition to the ordination of women, divorce and abortion. In addition, on at least one occasion, he refused to give communion to homobaduals during a mbad. Before Pell, the highest case of badual abuse in the Church in Australia was that of Phillip Wilson, the former Archbishop of Adelaide, convicted last year for concealing the crimes of a pedophile priest in the 1970s. His sentence was canceled December