Vatican City, Mar 1, 2019 / 08:42 am
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin Thursday called the conviction of Cardinal George Pell in Australia "shocking and painful."
Cardinal Pell, who formerly served as the prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, is currently in police custody awaiting sentencing on his conviction of five charges of sexual abuse of minors.
Pell's case "is an incentive to continue in the pope's line: to fight against this phenomenon and pay attention to the victims," Parolin told L'Osservatore Romano Feb. 28.
An earlier statement from the Vatican press office, released on Feb. 26 underscored the Holy See's commitment to the full judicial process playing out.