As a member of the College of Cardinals he is one of the small number of people eligible to have had a say in the election of last two pontiffs; Pope Benedict in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013.

Yesterday's formal announcement he had become the most senior Catholic leader ever to have been convicted of sexual abuse offences against children saw him make history again, for all the wrong reasons.

The conviction, which had been handed down last December, was initially suppressed on the grounds Pell was still awaiting trial on other, unrelated, historical sex abuse allegations.

Plans to proceed with that trial have now been dropped and, as a result, the suppression order was lifted on Tuesday. This lifted the lid on what had been the most open "secret" in recent Australian history.

Pell's conviction had already been widely reported on international news sites at the time and has sent shockwaves around the world.

The cardinal, who has repeatedly denied the allegations against him and has said he intends to appeal the conviction, is expected to be remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.

Pell now faces the prospect of a jail term. His future, as a cardinal, must be in serious doubt.

Pope Frances, who hosted a widely publicised summit on the church's sexual abuse crisis in Rome last week, removed Pell from his council of advisers two days after the original, and unreported, verdict was handed down last year.

It would seem unconscionable given the release of the news of the conviction and the recent sackings of other senior church leaders who had also been linked to sex offences, that he be allowed to remain as a cardinal.

This would seriously undermine the Pope's recent statements saying that clerical sex abuse is a great evil and that the church is committed to stamping it out.

The release of the Pell verdict, which follows the recent Royal Commission's finding that as many as seven per cent of priests may have committed sex offences against juveniles, is further proof of the church's inability to act against its own.

It was not until the allegations against Pell were brought to the attention of the police that an investigation was launched and justice finally done.

That said nobody, and certainly not the victims of sex abuse, will be celebrating in the wake of Tuesday's announcement. The public release of the long awaited verdict will bring back traumatic memories for thousands of people whose lives have been shattered by sexual predators.

These are people who had, as Pell's accuser succinctly put it yesterday, "trusted someone we should have feared" and, as a result, now "fear those genuine relationships that we should trust".

There are no winners here. Pell, and those convicted of similar offences, face specific penalties and finite jail terms.

The victims of childhood sex abuse have been sentenced to shame, loneliness, struggle and despair for the rest of their lives.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 737 732.