MELBOURNE: Cardinal George Pell, who was acquitted by the Australian High Court after charging him after 14 months in jail on charges of sexual misconduct, said his faith in Christ and the Word of God helped him to survive prison days. He was delivering a message in an online meditation conducted by the Australian Catholic Students Association on the theme ‘How to Stand Firm in Crisis’.
His thirteen months in prison was miserable. However, this is not to say that it is the worst of suffering. For, the days of imprisonment were the true convictions of the Christian view of suffering. He still has the same Christian message. It was this Christian conviction, not of his acquittal, but of his great strength and resources for survival, the Cardinal added.
Cardinal was jailed for allegedly sexually assaulting two boys at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. He was removed from the charge of the Vatican’s financial office following the indictment. But in April, a full bench of seven had declared that there was no fact in the indictment. His statement at the time of his release stated that he had no grudge against the complainants.
