Attorneys for Cardinal George Pell, the former Archbishop of Sydney, were granted a request that the allegations of child sex abuse against him that date back decades be handled in two separate trials.
Cardinal Pell, 76, is the highest-ranking Vatican official to stand trial on such charges. He appeared in court on Wednesday for the second day after pleading not guilty to multiple charges involving alleged sexual offenses dating from the 1970s and 1990s when he was a Priest in the Melbourne area and later Archbishop of the southern Australian city.
The Cardinal’s attorney, Robert Richter, argued before Judge Sue Pullen that the charges from the '70s and those from the '90s were "of a completely different nature" and "separated by 20 years" and therefore should be handled discretely.
Last year, His Eminence publicly proclaimed his innocence, saying the allegations were all "false" and that "the whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me."
On Tuesday, a magistrate dismissed about half the charges against him, but concluded that he should face a jury on the remainder.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports:
"Together, the two trials would run for up to 10 weeks, including pre-trial legal argument, [prosecutor Mark] Gibson said.
He told Judge Pullen prosecutors could take up to three months to prepare for the trials, but Mr. Richter said he wanted the first trial to start sooner rather than later.
He said his client's age was a factor in wanting the trials to start soon, as was the age – 80 – and health of a key witness.
'And everyone needs to get on with their lives,' Mr Richter said."
Cardinal Pell, who was appointed by Pope Francis to be the Vatican's top financial adviser, is currently on leave from that post.
This is terrible news, of course.
The fact that there will be two separate trials increases the possibility of a conviction of the Cardinal.
The fact that this case involves one of the most prominent members of the College of Cardinals is sure to whet the appetite of eager prosecutors looking to add the conviction of a Prince of the Church to their political resumes.
There is no telling how these criminal proceedings against Cardinal Pell will encourage prosecutions of Bishops in other places around the globe.
Pope Francis, who in recent days seems to have lost his moral authority (imagine that!) regarding the matter of the sexual abuse of minors, will be powerless to get ahead of this prosecution and offer words of support for the Cardinal.
The Church continues to suffer terrible wounds resulting from the scandal of these sexual assaults upon minors by Priests, Bishops and (now allegedly) Cardinals.
Satan has unleashed perhaps what is proving to be his most powerful and effective attack against the Body of Christ.
Faith in the Lord Jesus’ promise to protect the Church and prayers to the Holy Spirit are desperately required in these days. May we, the People of God, be worthy of the moment and pray for the welfare of the Church in these days and always.
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