(MELBOURNE, Australia) — An Australian appeals court by a 2-1 ruling Wednesday upheld convictions against Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic to be found guilty of sexually abusing children.
The Victoria state Court of Appeal rejected Pell’s appeal of the unanimous verdicts a jury had issued in December finding Pope Francis’ former finance minister guilty of molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral more than two decades ago.
The abuse occurred months after Pell became archbishop of Australia’s second largest city and had set the world’s first compensation arrangement for victims of clergy sexual abuse.
His lawyers are expected to appeal to the High Court, Australia’s final arbiter.
Pell is no longer a member of Pope Francis’ council of cardinals or a Vatican official, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said soon after the appeal was rejected that Pell would be stripped of his Order of Australia honor.
The Vatican is conducting..