If the High Court fails to overturn the verdict of a 12-person jury that found him guilty of four counts of sexual assault and one count of child rape, Pell, 78, will spend at least 32 more months in prison.
Australia
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Priests swap clericals for camouflage to help fight Australian fires
In Australia, priests are joining in the effort to combat the devasting bushfires that have swept the country.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Bishops express sorrow, support after U.S. firefighters die in Australia
The three Americans were among eight firefighters and 31 people total who have died in the wildfires since September.
Posted inFaith, News
Committee to recommend Australian bishops give laity certain controls
The plan would cede control over financial, human resources and governance functions to professional laity.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Bushfires are a call to action, prayer and reflection in Australia
The nation’s Catholics have started to reflect on their long-term responsibilities in the face of this unprecedented environmental catastrophe.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
A prayer during the Australian bushfires
To you, O God, I entrust my sorrow, my fears, my anguish, as well as the people, the flora and fauna, the land of Australia.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Debates about the seal of confession intensify as Australian mandatory reporting laws move closer to reality
“The Catholic Church does not view the sacramental seal as incompatible with maintaining child safety. The Church wants measures that will genuinely make environments safer for children. There has been no compelling evidence to suggest that legal abolition of the seal of confession will help in that regard.”
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Vatican restates trust in Australia’s judiciary as Cardinal Pell set to appeal abuse conviction
“The Holy See acknowledges the decision of Australia’s High Court to accept Card. George Pell’s request of appeal, aware that the cardinal has always maintained his innocence.”
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Australia’s highest court agrees to hear Cardinal Pell’s appeal in sex abuse case
The decision by the High Court of Australia comes nearly a year after a unanimous jury found Pope Francis’ former finance minister guilty of molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the late 1990s.
Posted inFaith, Short Take
How the church in Australia is working to eradicate modern slavery
About 40 million people are now trapped by forced labor and human trafficking. John McCarthy explains how the church in Australia is “slavery-proofing” its procurement practices and supply chains.