Cardinal takes leave from Vatican after sex-assault charges

VATICAN CITY -- Cardinal George Pell, one of Pope Francis' top advisers, took a leave of absence as the Vatican's financial czar Thursday to fight multiple criminal charges in his native Australia that allege he committed sexual assault years ago.

Pell appeared before reporters in the Vatican press office to deny the accusations, denounce what he called a "relentless character assassination" in the media and announce he would return to Australia to clear his name.

"I repeat that I am innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me," Pell said.

The Vatican said the leave takes effect immediately, and Pell will not participate in any public liturgical event while it is in place. Pell said he intends to return to Rome eventually to resume his work as prefect of the Vatican's economy ministry.

Pell, 76, is the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to be charged in the church's long-running sexual-abuse scandal, and the developments pose a major and immediate new obstacle for Francis as he works to reform the Vatican.

Victoria state police deputy commissioner Shane Patton announced the charges Thursday, saying police had summoned Pell to appear in court to face multiple counts of "historical sexual-assault offenses," meaning offenses that generally occurred some time ago. Patton said there are multiple complainants against Pell but gave no other details on the allegations against the cardinal.

Pell was ordered to appear July 18 in Melbourne Magistrates Court.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said the Holy See had learned with "regret" of the charges and the work of Pell's office would continue in his absence, albeit only its "ordinary" affairs.

In a statement he read to reporters while sitting beside Pell, Burke said the Vatican respected Australia's justice system but recalled the cardinal had "openly and repeatedly condemned as immoral and intolerable" acts of sexual abuse against minors.

He noted Pell had cooperated with Australia's Royal Commission investigation into sex abuse, and as a bishop in Australia, he worked to protect children and compensate victims.

"The Holy Father, who has appreciated Cardinal Pell's honesty during his three years of work in the Roman Curia, is grateful for his collaboration," Burke added.

The charges were announced on a major Catholic feast day, when many of the world's cardinals were already in Rome for a ceremony Wednesday to elevate five new cardinals.

As Pell spoke to reporters, preparations were underway in St. Peter's Square for a Mass that Pell had been expected to celebrate jointly, but he stood down after the charges were announced.

For years, Pell has faced allegations he mishandled cases of clergy abuse when he was archbishop of Melbourne and, later, Sydney.

More recently, Pell himself became the focus of a clergy sex-abuse investigation, with Victoria detectives flying to the Vatican last year to interview him.