George Pell's committal to trial makes front-page news around world
The news that Cardinal George Pell has been committed to stand trial on sexual assault charges made front page news around the world.
From Paris to Cape Town to Hong Kong, media outlets splashed the news online, shortly after the decision in Melbourne Magistrates Court that Cardinal Pell would face charges from multiple complainants.
London’s Evening Standard ran photos of Cardinal Pell walking into court on Tuesday as police held back a large media pack.
The Standard reported that ‘‘an Australian Cardinal who is one of the most powerful officials in the Vatican will stand trial over historical sexual assault charges.
‘‘Cardinal George Pell’s case will proceed to trial in a Melbourne court, following a month-long pre-trial hearing, an Australian court ruled on Tuesday.’’
The New York Times noted the case involving Cardinal Pell, ‘‘Australia’s top Catholic’’ and one of the Vatican’s highest-ranking officials, was seen by many as ‘‘a moment of reckoning for a church racked by scandal’’.
Cardinal Pell had been accused of historical sexual offences, the Times said, but the details of the criminal complaints, including the identities of his accusers, had not been made public ‘‘due to Australia’s strict contempt standards, and other legal restrictions’’.
The Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported: ‘‘The 76-year-old Australian cardinal, the senior Vatican official involved in the paedophilia scandal, will be tried on charges of sexually abusing several victims a few years ago.
‘‘When the magistrate left the courtroom after reading the decision, many people crammed into the public gallery applauded.
"The lawyers of the most prestigious figure of the Australian Catholic Church, meanwhile, have reiterated to the press that these are false accusations, impossible to prove and therefore to be rejected.’’
In Paris, the headline in Le Monde read: "Cardinal Pell to be tried for sexual assault in Australia".
The story, sourced from Agence France Presse, said that the number three at the Vatican "will be tried for old cases of sexual assault".
"The 76-year-old Australian cardinal, who was present at the court hearing the evidence, decided to plead not guilty. He categorically denies all charges against him.
"In her reading, Judge Belinda Wallington said she was "convinced" that there is sufficient evidence to charge the prelate with a charge."
"She dismissed the other charges against him, some of which are more serious."
The Boston Globe, famous for its investigations into past abuses by Catholic clergy in the US, described Cardinal Pell as "the most senior Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis".
The Globe said the case "places both the cardinal and the pope in potentially perilous territory. For Pell, the charges are a threat to his freedom, his reputation and his career.
"For [Pope] Francis, they are a threat to his credibility, given he famously promised a ‘‘zero tolerance’’ policy for sex abuse in the church."
The Globe said that advocates for abuse victims had railed against Francis’ decision to appoint Pell ‘‘to the high-ranking position [of cardinal] in the first place".
"At the time of his promotion, Pell was already facing allegations that he had mishandled cases of clergy abuse during his time leading the church in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia’s largest cities."
The South China Morning Post headline read: "Papal aide Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic, ordered to stand trial on sex charges".
The Post reported that, "Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell was ordered to stand trial on multiple historical sexual offence charges in Australia on Tuesday.
"Magistrate Belinda Wallington said she was 'satisfied' there was enough evidence for a conviction on several charges, but struck out some of the most serious alleged offences.
"The 76-year-old, who entered the court with a heavy police presence, denies all the claims."