Australia High Court will hear
Card. Pell's appeal request
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| File photo of Cardinal Pell |
Two judges on Australia’s highest court announce that
Cardinal Pell's request for appeal will be decided by full court.
Two justices of the Australian High Court announced on
Wednesday that they are referring Cardinal George Pell's request for appeal to
the seven members of the High Court. At that hearing, the members of the High
Court will decide whether to accept or deny Cardinal Pell's request to appeal
an earlier conviction for the sexual assault of two under-aged boys, which
alledgedly took place in the sacristy of Melbourne’s Cathedral in 1996, when he
was the local Archbishop.
Cardinal Pell was convicted in February on historical
charges of sexual abuse of minors. He has always maintained his innocence.
The first trial ended in a hung jury; a second jury
unanimously entered a guilty verdict.
On presenting the appeal to the High Court in September,
Cardinal Pell’s lawyers rested their case to overturn the conviction on the
dissenting opinion of Justice Mark Weinberg, one of three judges of the Supreme
Court of the Australian State of Victoria.
A date for this final appeal hearing to Australia's High
Court has not yet been set. Some say it may take place early in 2020. However,
this will be Cardinal Pell's last opportunity to appeal the conviction.
Statement of Australian Bishops' Conference
In a statement, the President of the Australian Bishops
Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge said that “all Australians have the right
to appeal a conviction to the High Court. Cardinal George Pell has exercised
that right, and the High Court has determined that his conviction warrants its
consideration."
The Archbishop added that, “this will prolong what has been
a lengthy and difficult process, but we can only hope that the appeal will be
heard as soon as reasonably possible and that the High Court’s judgement will
bring clarity and a resolution for all.”
Statement of the Holy See Press Office
Just before 12 noon on Wednesday, the Holy See Press Office
released a statement saying the Holy See anknowledges the decision and
reiterates "its trust in the Australian justice system." It also
states that "the Holy See reaffirms once again its closeness to those who
have suffered because of sexual abuse on the part of members of the
clergy."
This article is in the process of being updated
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