Pope Francis greets people as he leaves after the general audience at the Vatican, November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Thursday named the Vatican’s new economy minister to succeed Cardinal George Pell, who is appealing a conviction in his native Australia for sexually assaulting two teenaged choir boys. The post, formally known as Prefect for the Secretariat of the Economy, has been vacant since Pell took leave of absence in 2017.His appointment was announced a day after Australia’s High Court agreed to hear a final appeal from Pell.
Pell, who is serving a six-year jail sentence handed down by a lower court in March, turned to the High Court after a first appeal upheld his conviction.The Secretariat of the Economy, created by Pope Francis in 2014 to help oversee the implementation of financial reforms, coordinates the Vatican’s economic and administrative affairs.
The post of auditor-general has also been vacant since 2017, when Libero Milone resigned, saying he was forced to step down with trumped-up accusations after discovering evidence of possible illegal activity.Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Toby Chopra and Andrew Cawthorne
Who's left who's not disgraced!?
is it Jacob_Rees_Mogg ?
The Godfather III