Pell returned to his native Australia in 2017 to be tried on child molestation charges alleging that he sexually abused two singers while he was archbishop of Melbourne. He spent 404 days in solitary confinement before his sentence was overturned in 2020.
Pell’s funeral was held in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, with Pope Francis giving a final blessing.
Pell will be buried at St. Mary’s Church from February 1 before being interred in the church’s crypt the next day, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said in a statement.
Pell’s successor as Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, will be the main celebrant at the Requiem Mass.
Rector of the Church of St. Mary, Father Don Richardson, said thousands of mourners will attend Mass.
“Cardinal Pell has left a remarkable legacy for the Catholic Church in Australia and this will undoubtedly be one of the most important funerals ever held in the cathedral,” Richardson said in a statement. declare.
The Mass will be televised live by the church to allow mourners from around the world to attend the service, and will also be shown on large screens outside.
