Cardinal George Pell said
Thursday that he had taken leave of absence from a top Vatican
post to defend himself of sexual assault charges in his homeland
Australia. "I'm totally innocent of these charges," Pell, 76,
told a press conference after Victoria state Police said he had
been summoned to appear in court to face multiple counts of
"historical sexual assault offenses". The Vatican press office
said Pope Francis had granted Pell a leave of absence as prefect
of the secretariat for the economy "so he can defend himself".
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