Cardinal George Pell returns to Rome after acquittal on sex abuse charges to find Vatican mired in financial scandal

ROME (AP) — Cardinal George Pell has returned to Rome after his acquittal on child sexual abuse charges to find the Vatican mired in a financial corruption scandal. The former Holy See finance czar left the Vatican in 2017 to face the sexual abuse charges in his native Australia. The 79-year-old Pell arrived at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport on Wednesday after a flight from Sydney wearing a blue surgical mask. He waved briefly to reporters before getting into a waiting car without making any comments. The car did not carry Vatican license plates. Pell said after he was absolved by Australia’s high court that he wanted to clean out his Vatican apartment, but intended to make Sydney his home.