George Pell says he knew God was with him when he was cleared of abusing two choir boys in 1990s

April 13, 2020

The Catholic Cardinal has spoken for the first time since being released from prison after Australia's High Court quashed his convictions.

Cardinal George Pell says he knew God was with him when he was cleared last week of abusing two choir boys in the 1990s.

The Catholic cardinal spoke out for the first time since being released from prison after Australia's High Court quashed his convictions for child sexual abuse.

The 78-year-old described child sexual abuse in the church as a "cancer" he had asked God to rid the world of.

"I totally condemn those sorts of activities and the damage that it's done to people, and I've seen the damage it's done," he said.

Pell was to serve a maximum of six years in prison for abusing two teenage choir boys at his cathedral in 1996 and '97.

"One of the things that agrieves me is the suggestion that I am anti-victim or not sufficiently sympathetic," he said.

Pell was to handle abuse by clergy and church personnel when he led the Australian Catholic Church's response to abuse claims as arch bishop. The response was highly criticised, with compensation capped and the church spending millions fighting victims' claims in court.

Pell was serving a six-year sentence for sexually abusing two choirboys in the nineties.

"This was what they did. This is how they operated and it's a disgrace and it needs exposing," victim advocate Chrissie Foster said.

The Australian Royal Commission can now release its full findings into Pell's handling of abuse following the end of criminal proceedings against him.

"There are many people who moved predator priests and brothers around working class parishes for decades. They knew what they were doing, and they will need to go to their maker knowing that," Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said.

He will walk free from prison after spending more than 400 days behind bars.

Pell says he is ashamed of the church's handling of child sexual abuse on multiple levels.

"There are two levels: one is the crimes itself, and then the treating it so inadequately for so long," he said.

He said paedophiles are now being cut from clergy ranks, but he admits the Catholic church should have moved quicker.

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