Cardinal George Pell has vehemently denied allegations of abuse, in a statement issued in the wake of media reports that he is being investigated by Victoria Police.
In response to a Herald Sun report that a Victoria Police taskforce was investigating abuse allegations against him, Australia's most high-profile Catholic said the allegations were "undetailed" and had not been raised with him.
A statement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney also said allegations of abuse that were raised 15 years ago were "without foundation and utterly false".
Cardinal Pell, 74, is due to give evidence at the child sex abuse royal commission on February 29.
"The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the royal commission," the statement read.
Cardinal Pell has called for a public inquiry into the leaking of the abuse claims to the media.
"It is outrageous that these allegations have been brought to the cardinal's attention through a media leak," the statement said.
Police said they would not comment on Taskforce SANO's investigations, which look at historic sexual offending.
"Victoria Police will not provide a running commentary on these investigations as it would be inappropriate to do so," it said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for Victoria's Police Minister said the Minister would not comment on the case.
"If, as reported, there is an investigation currently before Victoria Police it would be inappropriate to comment," she said.
Cardinal Pell hit back at criticism this week over his inability to return to Australia to appear in person before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
He will appear via video link from Rome after the commission accepted a doctor's report that said he would risk heart failure if he flew to Australia to testify.
Editor's note: On Tuesday April 7, 2020, the High Court in a unanimous decision upheld Cardinal Pell's appeal and quashed his convictions on all five charges.
