Cardinal George Pell, who was one of the highest-ranking Catholic leaders to be accused of child sex abuse, has died at the age of 81.
Pell was in Rome, Italy, to attend the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI when he died from heart complications following hip surgery Tuesday, according to Archbishop Peter Comensoli who presides over the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia.
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“Cardinal Pell was a very significant and influential Church leader, both in Australia and internationally, deeply committed to Christian discipleship,” Comensoli said in a statement.
“At this immediate moment, let our prayers go out to the God of Jesus Christ, whom Cardinal Pell wholeheartedly believed in and followed, that he may be welcomed into eternal life,” Comensoli added. “Our prayers of comfort and condolence are also with his family, especially his only surviving sibling David Pell.”
Pell served as the archbishop of Melbourne from 1996 until 2001 and as the archbishop of Sydney, Australia from 2001 until 2014. He was promoted by Pope Francis in 2014 to oversee finances for the Holy See, serving as the Secretariat for the Economy.
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In 2017, a Victoria State County Court in Australia found Pell guilty of molesting two children during his time as the archbishop of Melbourne. Pell maintained his innocence and had his conviction unanimously overturned by the High Court in 2020 after he had served 404 days in jail.
Pell’s death comes weeks after Pope Benedict XVI died on Dec. 31, 2022, nearly 10 years after he became the first pope to abdicate in centuries.
