Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
Australian police say they are investigating claims that an aide to Pope Francis molested two young boys in Australia in the 1970s. The allegations, aired by Australian media on Wednesday, were denied by the aide in question, Vatican finance chief George Pell, an Australian citizen. While Pell described the allegations as a smear campaign against him, police in Victoria say the claims have been sent to prosecutors to determine whether they are grounds for a criminal case. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said on Wednesday it has eight police statements alleging abuse from the supposed victims, their family members, and witnesses. The allegations come from two men who say they were groped by Pell as young boys at a pool in the town where the Vatican cleric grew up.