The conviction of George Pell, Australia’s most senior cardinal, for sexually assaulting choirboys was described as “painful news” by the Vatican, which warned him to stay away from children as he awaits sentencing. Once the Vatican’s No 3 official, and one of Pope Francis’s closest advisers, Pell, 77, was found guilty by a Melbourne court of five charges of sex abuse, each carrying a maximum term of ten years in jail. Sentencing is expected in the next two weeks. A Vatican spokesman said that the Pope was upholding an existing measure that bans Pell from contact with minors, but would take no further action until an appeal had been heard, since Pell “has reiterated his innocence and has the right to defend himself to the…

Source: The Times February 26, 2019 23:58 UTC