George Pell, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Sydney, announced that he was stepping aside amid allegations that he abused a 12-year-old boy while training as a priest 41 years ago.
Pell was accused of molesting the boy in Melbourne in 1961, the church said in a statement.
Pell, Australia's most senior cleric, denied the allegations and announced that he would take a leave while an independent investigation was conducted. The church appointed a retired Supreme Court judge, who is not a Catholic, to investigate the allegations.
