Vatican cardinal to face Australian court on sex abuse charges

The most senior Vatican official ever charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis is set to appear in an Australian court on Monday, in a hearing to test whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to try him.

Australian Cardinal George Pell's committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, before Magistrate Belinda Wallington, is scheduled to take up to a month - with testimony of alleged victims likely to be suppressed from publication.