Australian prison chaplain nervous about cardinal inmate

A chaplain at an Australian prison for pedophiles has described the prospect of ministering to a cardinal who until recently was regarded as the third highest-ranking Catholic in the Vatican as “nerve racking.”

Cardinal George Pell is likely to be transferred from a high-security Melbourne prison for first-time inmates to a medium-security prison for pedophiles in nearby Ararat after he lost a court appeal this week of convictions on charges of molesting two choirboys.

Chaplain Andrew Hayes told Ten Network television yesterday that he is nervous about meeting Pope Francis’ former finance minister in the Ararat prison.

Pell’s lawyers are considering a final appeal to the High Court. Hayes said he expects Pell to be defrocked if he loses.

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