Verdict upheld against Australian cardinal

An Australian appeals court on Wednesday upheld a guilty ruling against Cardinal George Pell. A Victoria judge earlier this year sentenced him to six years in prison for molesting two 13-year-old choirboys nearly 20 years ago. The Victoria Court of Appeal rejected Pell’s appeal in a 2-1 ruling. The 78-year-old former finance minister to Pope Francis has continued to maintain his innocence.

What happens next? Pell’s lawyers will decide whether to appeal to the country’s highest court, while the Vatican waits for a final court decision before beginning its investigation. The Vatican has already removed him as a member of the pope’s Council of Cardinals. If the church convicts Pell of sexual abuse under canon law, it will defrock him.

Dig deeper: Read Kiley Crossland’s report in Relations on how the Catholic Church in the United States has tried to move toward more accountability amid a sexual abuse crisis.