Pope praises Pell’s ‘perseverance in his hour of trial’

London | Pope Francis has used an obituary message to single out Cardinal George Pell’s resilience in the face of child sexual abuse charges and his subsequent spell in prison.

In a telegram to the Vatican’s dean of the college of cardinals, released on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), the Pope said Cardinal Pell, who died on Tuesday night aged 81, “unwaveringly followed his Lord with perseverance, even in the hour of trial”.