Cardinal Pell says Vatican finance scandals surprised him (AP)

In an Associated Press interview, Cardinal George Pell said that he was caught off guard by the extent of financial corruption at the Vatican. “I didn’t know that there was so much criminality involved,” he said—although he acknowledged that the situation might be explained by “staggering incompetence.” The cardinal said that he did not know whether Vatican officials pushed for his prosecution in Australia, but “I hope, for the sake of the Church, there’s nothing to it.”