Cardinal George Pell, one of the highest-ranking Vatican officials and a former top adviser to Pope Francis, was found guilty in an Australian court on five charges of child sexual offenses. The verdict is an embarrassment to the Vatican as it was revealed just days after a global summit in Rome dedicated to preventing sexual abuse.
Pell, 77, was found guilty of offenses committed over two decades ago against then-13-year-old boys. The conviction was made public on Feb. 26, after a court suppression order on the trial was lifted, following a second abuse case against Pell. Those child sex offenses ended up being dropped by the prosecution.
