Vatican City, May 1, 2018 / 09:03 am
Cardinal George Pell will remain on a leave of absence from his Vatican position as he faces charges of "historic sexual offenses" in his home country of Australia, the Vatican has announced.
The full detail and nature of the charges has not been publicly revealed, and it's unknown when the trial will begin. The decision to go to trial came after a month-long preliminary hearing in Melbourne.
Pell is accused of misconduct dating back decades, during his first years as a priest until he became the Archbishop of Melbourne. He has been accused of groping two boys at a swimming pool in the city of Ballarat during the 1970s, as well as assaulting two members of a choir at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne during the 1990s. More precise details about the charges were not made public.
The majority of the charges against the cardinal were dismissed during the preliminary hearing.