Cardinal Pell's death 'a shock to many' - Australia PM

STORY: "This was a hip operation and the consequences of it, unfortunately, have been that Cardinal Pell has lost his life, and I express my condolences to all those who will be mourning today," Albanese told reporters in Rockhampton.

Pell died on Tuesday (January 10) at the age of 81 from heart complications following hip surgery. The former top Vatican official was a leading Roman Catholic conservative who was acquitted of sexual abuse convictions by an Australian appeals court in 2020.

The ruling allowed Pell to walk free after 13 months in prison, ending the case of the most senior figure accused in the global scandal of historical sex abuse that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.