Australian police flew to Rome to interview a top Vatican cardinal about allegations of sexual assault dating back decades, officials said Wednesday.
Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’s top financial adviser and one of his most trusted aides, has long been dogged by allegations he mishandled cases of clergy abuse when he was archbishop of Melbourne and later Sydney. In recent months, Cardinal Pell has faced accusations of child abuse himself when he was a young priest in the 1970s.
On Wednesday, police in Australia’s Victoria state confirmed that they had interviewed Cardinal Pell over the allegations.
“Three members of Victoria police traveled to Rome last week where Cardinal George Pell voluntarily participated in an interview regarding allegations of sexual assault,” a police spokesman said.
“As a result of the interview, further investigations are continuing. We are not prepared to comment further at this time.”
The allegations involve two men, now in their 40s, who say Cardinal Pell touched them inappropriately at a swimming pool in the late 1970s. Separately, a man told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that he saw Cardinal Pell exposing himself to three young boys in a surf club changing room in the late 1980s. Cardinal Pell was at the time a senior priest in Melbourne.
Cardinal Pell has repeatedly denied the allegations and did so again on Wednesday.
“The Cardinal repeats his previous rejection of all and every allegation of sexual abuse and will continue to cooperate with Victoria Police until the investigation is finalised,” Cardinal Pell’s office said in a statement.
In August, Pope Francis declined to address the accusations against Cardinal Pell, saying he wanted to wait until the investigation was complete before commenting. “We must wait for justice and not make judgments ahead of time,” the Pope said in response to an Associated Press reporter aboard the papal plane.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.