Several media outlets have received confidential information that can only have been leaked by someone within the Victorian police force, the statement read.
For members of the police "to publicly attack a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing is outrageous and should be seen for what it is," the cardinal said.
The way in which the claims were made, the statement said, was done "in a manner clearly designed to embarrass the Cardinal, in a case study where the historical failures of the Victorian Police have been the subject of substantial evidence."
"These types of unfair attacks diminish the work of those good officers of the police who are diligently working to bring justice to victims."
According to the Harald Sun, the Sano taskforce is allegedly investigating allegations as far back as a 1961 accusation that the then-20 year old Pell, who was a seminarian at the time, abused an altar boy during a camp at Smiths Beach on Phillip Island.
While the alleged incident was never investigated by police, the Catholic Church itself led an investigation into the incident in 2002, ultimately leading to the cardinal's exoneration by now retired-Supreme Court justice Alec Southwell.
In Pell's statement, it was noted that the records for the Phillip Island allegations have been on the public record "for nearly 15 years," and that Justice Southwell's exonerating report has been in the public domain since 2002.
It noted that the Victorian police "have taken no steps in all of that time to pursue the false allegations made," but assured that Cardinal Pell "certainly has no objection" if they wish to review the materials that led to his exoneration.
He said he is sure it won't be long until the police reach the same conclusion as Judge Southwell.
The statement also stressed that in all of this time the Victoria police "have never sought" to interview Cardinal Pell in relation to any allegations of abuse. Apart from the "false allegations" investigated by Justice Southwell, it read, "the Cardinal knows of no claims or incidents which relate to him."
It was emphasized that Cardinal Pell "strongly denies any wrongdoing," but that he remains open to cooperate with the police should they wish to speak with him.
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He called on both the Premier and the Police Minister to "immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations."
Elise Harris was senior Rome correspondent for CNA from 2012 to 2018.