Former Vatican minister found guilty of sexual harassment dies

Former Vatican Finance Minister and Australian Cardinal George Pell, who was sentenced to 6 years in 2019 for sexually assaulting 2 boys in the church choir, has been reported to have died while serving in Australia.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli claimed that Pell was in Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died at the Vatican on December 31, on January 5. Comensoli announced that Pell died at the age of 81 in Rome from cardiac complications from recent hip surgery.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said this will be a difficult day for many people, especially those of the Catholic faith, and expressed his condolences to all who are mourning today. The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, also said that Pell’s body would be taken to Australia and that he was buried at St. He said he would be buried at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

HAS BEEN A PRISONER

It was widely heard with the sexual harassment scandal by the name of former Vatican Finance Minister and Australian Cardinal George Pell. On December 12, 2018, the Victoria District Court jury found that Pell, the Vatican’s No. 3, served as Archbishop of Melbourne in December 1996 and February 1997. He had decided that he had abused 2 children in the Church choir in the Patriarch’s Cathedral. However, the decision, which could not be published due to ongoing sexual harassment lawsuits against Pell, was announced after the lawsuits were dropped on February 26, 2019.

Denying the charges against him, Pell was sentenced to 6 years in prison on March 13, 2019.

However, the Australian High Court granted Pell’s appeal on April 6, 2020. On top of that, Pell was released after almost 13 months in prison. (AA)