Australia’s Cardinal Pell loses child sex abuse appeal

Disgraced Cardinal George Pell lost his appeal against child sex abuse convictions yesterday, prompting relief from victims who fought to bring one of the Catholic Church's most powerful men to justice. A former Vatican treasurer, Pell had been trying to overturn the verdicts and six-year sentence for sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys at a Melbourne cathedral in the 1990s. Following the ruling, Pell's lawyer said they were mulling second and final appeal. During Pell's trial, the Vatican gradually removed him from top Church bodies with little explanation. Shortly after his conviction, Pell was removed from the so-called C9 Council of Cardinals that are effectively the Pope's cabinet and inner circle of advisers. The Vatican later dropped him as the church's finance chief and launched its own probe in February.