Pell Acquittal Exposes Vatican Hypocrisy

By Bradley Eli, M.Div., Ma.Th
Church Militant (blog)
April 7, 2020

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/pope-prays-for-unjustly-condemned-after-pells-conviction-overturned

Pope Francis is praying for those who are persecuted by an unjust sentence. He did so shortly after news broke that Australia's High Court acquitted Cdl. George Pell of sex abuse.

Without mentioning Pell's name in his homily at Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday Francis said, "I would like to pray today for all the people who suffer an unjust sentence because of aggressive persistence [against them]."

A Vatican press release the same day was more specific: "The Holy See, which has always expressed confidence in the Australian judicial authority, welcomes the High Court's unanimous decision concerning Cdl. George Pell, acquitting him of the accusations of abuse of minors and overturning his sentence."