Rome: The charges laid against Vatican finance chief, Australian Cardinal George Pell, are the subject of heavy coverage in the Italian media, with outlets attacking Australia's record on sexual assault.
Cardinal Pell was on Thursday charged by Victorian Police with historical sexual assault offences.
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:21
Impact of George Pell's charges ripple ...
Impact of George Pell's charges ripple through Vatican City
The bells are ringing in Vatican City, but this is not a day of celebration for Cardinal George Pell, says Europe correspondent Nick Miller.
Up Next
Germany legalises same-sex marriage
- Video duration
- 00:44
- Video duration
- 00:44
Germany legalises same-sex marriage
Germany legalises same-sex marriage
Despite opposition from Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany's parliament has passed a motion to legalise same-sex marriage.
Up Next
Reporting from the outskirts of Mosul
- Video duration
- 02:22
- Video duration
- 02:22
Reporting from the outskirts of Mosul
Reporting from the outskirts of Mosul
It's 45 degrees and he's 2.5km from the frontline, reporter Michael Bachelard introduces us to elite Iraqi military as they pose to takeover ISIS-held territory.
Up Next
Caught between war and famine in South Sudan
- Video duration
- 02:24
- Video duration
- 02:24
Caught between war and famine in South ...
Caught between war and famine in South Sudan
Fleeing violence, those fortunate enough to reach a United Nations camp in Bentiu, South Sudan, remain caught between famine and war.
Up Next
Venus Williams at fault in fatal car crash
- Video duration
- 00:24
- Video duration
- 00:24
Venus Williams at fault in fatal car crash
Venus Williams at fault in fatal car crash
A police report has said that the former top-ranked tennis player was at fault in a two-car crash in Florida on June 9, where the passenger in the other vehicle was killed.
Up Next
Trump talks trade with South Korea
- Video duration
- 01:30
- Video duration
- 01:30
Trump talks trade with South Korea
Trump talks trade with South Korea
US President Donald Trump welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife to the White House and says the two leaders will talk about North Korea and trade.
Up Next
Trump-backed bills on illegal immigrants passed
- Video duration
- 00:59
- Video duration
- 00:59
Trump-backed bills on illegal immigrants ...
Trump-backed bills on illegal immigrants passed
The US House of Representatives passed two bills that would crack down on illegal immigrants by applying tougher sentences.
Up Next
YouTube 'stunt' goes horribly wrong
- Video duration
- 00:53
- Video duration
- 00:53
YouTube 'stunt' goes horribly wrong
YouTube 'stunt' goes horribly wrong
A 19-year-old mother could be facing up to ten years in jail for shooting her boyfriend for a YouTube stunt.
Impact of George Pell's charges ripple through Vatican City
The bells are ringing in Vatican City, but this is not a day of celebration for Cardinal George Pell, says Europe correspondent Nick Miller.
He's the most senior Catholic Church cleric to face such charges.
Italian newspaper websites on Thursday ran prominent pictures of the 76-year-old. Television networks carried long segments with footage of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Cardinal Pell says the laying of charges has strengthened his resolve to prove his innocence.
He told reporters he was looking forward to having his day in court after a two-year investigation, "leaks to the media" and "relentless character assassination".
Cardinal Pell said Pope Francis has granted him, the third most powerful person in the Catholic Church, a leave of absence to return to Australia to defend himself.
The centrist Corriere Della Sera newspaper noted the cardinal was "the highest representative of the Catholic Church ever involved in such a case".
It ran a profile piece promoted as "Who is Cardinal George Pell?', where it describes the Australian as a "strong personality, decision maker, and good organiser" with "centralising" tendencies. The paper said World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008 was his "managerial masterpiece".
The liberal La Repubblica warned "the shadow of [sexual assault] returns to obscure the church".
It has previously described the cardinal as the "controversial kangaroo" and branded Australia as "a paradise of the orcs". In Italian orco is a demon or monster.
That description was based on data released by the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which looked into 75 Catholic authorities over a 60-year period between 1950 and 2010, and determined that, overall, 7 per cent of priests were alleged perpetrators.
Pedofilia, cardinale Pell incriminato per gravi reati sessuali: "Andrò in Australia a difendermi" https://t.co/rEBWHO0bsG
— la Repubblica (@repubblica) June 29, 2017
La Repubblica said the latest development had "plunged the Vatican into a solemn state" on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul.
Italian media also broadcast footage of Australian sexual assault survivors who attended the Rome end of a Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearing when Cardinal Pell gave evidence last year.
#Vaticano, l'incriminazione del cardinale #Pell per pedofilia e le colpe di Francesco @emifittipaldi @Tommasocernohttps://t.co/acq6chgvCn pic.twitter.com/OE2KlJFHGq
— L'Espresso (@espressonline) June 29, 2017
Social media commentary was also extensive with tweet mentions of Cardinal Pell alone topping 54,000 in 24 hours.
Cardinal Pell, a former Melbourne and Sydney archbishop and Ballarat priest, is due to appear in a Melbourne court on July 26.
The Holy See on Thursday said it learnt of the charges "with regret" but respected the Australian justice system.
"At the same time, it is important to recall that Cardinal Pell has openly and repeatedly condemned as immoral and intolerable the acts of abuse committed against minors," it said.
AAP, Fairfax Media