Sydney: Cardinal George Pell reveals that prayer has been his greatest source of strength while in prison. He was responding to the Catholic News Agency following the acquittal of the Australian High Court after he was found innocent after spending 14 months in jail on a sex charge. Nor did he hide the joy of being released on Holy Week. He said that this Easter is very important to him.
Although he believed he would be acquitted, he was not overly optimistic. He was found sitting in his cell at HM Jail in Barwon in south-west Melbourne. After his release, he spent a beautiful evening in a quiet part of Melbourne. Since he had not been able to offer the Mass for a long time, he expressed his desire to offer a Holy Mass privately if the opportunity presents itself.
Cardinal was jailed in 1996 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. However, the seven-member High Court had declared a full bench of seven accused in the indictment. At the time of his release, he had stated that he had no grudge against the complainants.
