Australian Cardinal George Pell, one of the Vatican's highest-ranking officials and a close adviser to Pope Francis, made his first appearance in an Australian courtroom on charges of sexual abuse.
The 76-year-old clergyman said nothing during a brief hearing in a Melbourne courtroom Wednesday that focused on routine legal matters. He has been charged with "historical sexual offenses" involving multiple people dating back several years.
Pell's lawyer, Robert Richter, told the court his client would plead not guilty to the charges, even though he was not required to do so during Wednesday's proceedings.
The Vatican's chief financial officer since 2014, Cardinal Pell is the most senior official in the Roman Catholic Church to face charges in the decades-long sexual abuse scandal involving clergy.
Pell has long been under fire for his handling of priests accused of sexually abusing children during his years as archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney. He was interviewed twice by a special commission formed to investigate allegations of sexual abuse committed by clergy, many of them dating back decades.
His next court date has been scheduled for October 6.