Australian archbishop convicted of concealing child sex abuse

An Australian court on Tuesday convicted a Catholic archbishop of covering up child sex abuse. Philip Wilson, archbishop of Adelaide, is the highest-ranking member of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy to face legal penalties in the worldwide abuse scandal. Wilson pleaded not guilty to concealing priest James Fletcher’s abuse of children in the 1970s. The 67-year-old archbishop will be sentenced in June and faces a maximum sentence of two years. “I am obviously disappointed at the decision published today,” Wilson said in a statement. Australian Cardinal George Pell, who serves as Pope Francis’ financial minister, also faces multiple sexual abuse charges in his home country, although prosecutors have not released details related to the allegations. Pell pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing.