A Senior Advisor to Pope Francis Accused of Sexual Abuse in Australia

On Thursday, July 8, Australian police charged Cardinal Pell, one of Pope Francis's senior advisors, with multiple sexual offenses, bringing the scandal of sexual abuse by priests and church officials to the heart of the Vatican. According to Reuters, Cardinal Pell is the highest-ranking Catholic official to be accused of such crimes. He has emphasized his innocence and stated that Pope Francis has granted him leave to return to Australia to defend himself. The 76-year-old Cardinal Pell, who is the third highest official in the Vatican, said at a press conference, "I am eagerly awaiting the court session. I have repeatedly emphasized that I am innocent. I am fundamentally opposed to any form of sexual abuse." Pell's departure from the Vatican, even if temporary, places Pope Francis in a difficult position, as he has committed to showing no leniency towards such crimes. Police in Victoria, Australia, where Pell served as a priest in the 1970s, say he has been accused of sexual abuse by multiple complainants. The police did not specify the details of the accusations, the ages of the complainants, or the time period during which the offenses occurred. Pell has been ordered to appear in court in Melbourne on July 18. Pell, who did not answer any questions at the press conference, insisted that the aim of these accusations is to "destroy his character" by the media, adding, "I want to prove my innocence and return to my job in Rome." Greg Burke, a Vatican spokesman, stated that Cardinal Pell will not participate in public church ceremonies for the time being. Last year, Pell told a government inquiry in Australia into institutional child sexual abuse that the Catholic Church had made a "catastrophic" mistake by failing to acknowledge sexual abuse of children, transferring offending priests from one church to another, and relying on a council of priests to resolve the issue. However, his testimony from Rome, stating that flying to Australia was difficult for him due to his age, angered victims. Subsequently, in July of last year, Australian police announced that Cardinal Pell himself was under investigation for suspected involvement in child sexual abuse. On Thursday, Pell indicated that he would go to Australia, adding, "I have discussed with my lawyers about the date of my departure to Australia and with my doctor about the best way to do this." Pope Francis stated last year that the media should not try Cardinal Pell, adding, "This is up to the judiciary, and no one can judge him before the judiciary has examined this matter. After the judiciary has made its decision, I will also speak." However, this recent event is a significant blow to Pope Francis and will pressure him to fulfill his promises to eradicate sexual abuse in the church and take action against those who have covered it up. Mary Collins, the only lay member of the commission that the Pope established to investigate the issue of sexual abuse, resigned this year due to severe dissatisfaction with the commission's processes, citing "shameless" resistance to change within the Vatican.