Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s most prominent Catholic and a conservative figure, died on Monday at the age of 81.
His death was confirmed by Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli. He had reportedly died due to heart failure.
He was 81 years old. His death came just days after he attended a funeral for former Pope Benedict XVI at the Holy See.
A divisive figure within the Catholic community, he spent the last years of his life residing in the Sydney Archdiocese.
In April 2020, the High Court overturned his conviction for multiple child sex offences.
Despite being found guilty of multiple sexual offences in December 2018, Cardinal George still maintained his innocence.
He was the Archbishop of Melbourne at the time of the incidents, which occurred at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.