The Deacon's Bench
Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of sexual offenses in Australia, making him the highest-ranking Catholic figure to receive such a conviction.
Pell abused two choir boys in the rooms of a Melbourne cathedral in 1996, a jury found. He had pleaded not guilty.
The verdict was handed down in December, but it could not be reported until now due to legal reasons.
As Vatican treasurer, the 77-year-old cardinal is one of the Church’s most powerful officials.
His trial was heard twice last year because a first jury failed to reach a verdict. The second jury convicted him of five charges.
He will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Stay tuned.
Reuters has additional background on the cardinal.
UPDATE: The New York Times adds this background:
In December, Cardinal Pell, 77, was found guilty of sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys. But a judge forbid news outlets to publish the news, citing concerns that coverage might influence a jury in the second trial.
On Tuesday, with the new trial no longer in the works, the judge lifted the gag order.
The earlier case related to allegations from 1996. Cardinal Pell, a former adviser to Pope Francis, was convicted on several counts.
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