cardinal george pell

The former Vatican treasurer was ordered released from prison, where he was serving a six-year sentence.

The former archbishop of Sydney and high-ranking Vatican official was sentenced in March to six years in prison for abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in the 1990s.

He had been convicted of sexually abusing two choir boys in Melbourne, Australia, two decades ago. He is 77 and will be eliglble for parole in three years and eight months.

More than 100 notices have been sent to reporters and media organizations for breaching a judge's suppression order in the trial of Australian Cardinal George Pell.

Once a top adviser to Pope Francis, Pell's conviction had been under seal in Australia pending a separate trial on other abuse charges. There will be no second trial, so the gag order has been lifted.

The former archbishop of Sydney, who is on leave from handling the Vatican's finances, is the highest-ranking Church official ever to face such charges. Pell denies the allegations.

Police in the state of Victoria announced charges against Cardinal George Pell, who was a priest there in the 1970s. Now the pope's finance chief, Pell said he looks forward to clearing his name.