Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic, will tender his resignation to Pope Francis today. He is currently the Vatican‘s Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, which is essentially the Church’s treasurer.
Before you get unduly excited, if you’re not a fan of Pell – it’s pretty likely that the Pope will dismiss his resignation. He’s not quitting because he wants to, anyway: the Pope introduced new protocols in 2014 which compel cardinals to tender their resignations when they turn 75. It’s Pell’s 75th birthday today.
Pell was installed in his role with the intention of addressing the corrupt management of finances in the Church, and reforming its pretty medieval financial structure.
Here in Australia, you’ll find less and less fans of the bloke these days. He faced calls to resign from back home over evidence presented at the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which suggested that he was aware of child sex abuse complaints as a priest and auxiliary bishop in Ballarat.
But if you want to see him kicked to the kerb, this might not be your day. Whether not the Pope decided to allow him to serve out his full five-year term, an immediate announcement is probably not that likely.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Getty Images.
