Updated April 14, 2020 15:14:54

Cardinal George Pell has warned the pendulum of justice should not swing too far "so that every accusation is regarded as gospel truth" in a sit-down television interview with Sky News commentator Andrew Bolt.

In an excerpt of the interview, which will be broadcast in full on Sky News tonight, Cardinal Pell said there was a risk society would move to a position where people were found guilty by accusation.

"It's not a sign of a civilisation where you have guilt by accusation, these things have to be tested respectfully," Cardinal Pell said.

"The pendulum 30 or 40 years ago was massively against anybody who said that they'd been attacked.

"Nowadays, we don't want it to swing back so that every accusation is regarded as gospel truth.

"That would be quite unjust and inappropriate."

Cardinal Pell has given the interview in the wake of his release from prison, after the High Court overturned his child sexual abuse convictions, finding there was the significant possibility that an innocent person had been convicted on evidence that did not establish guilt "to the requisite standard of proof".

The 78-year-old cardinal consistently maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings.

Bolt, who has been a consistent supporter of Cardinal Pell throughout the legal process, said the charges put against him were "so stupid not one has survived the process".

He asked whether Cardinal Pell believed Victoria Police "had an agenda" when pursuing charges against him.

"I don't know how you explain it but it is certainly extraordinary," Cardinal Pell said.

When asked if he expected Victoria Police to continue "trawling for victims" in order to lay more charges, Cardinal Pell said he "wouldn't be entirely surprised".

"But who knows, that's their business," he said.

Pell hits out at ABC coverage

During the interview Bolt asked Cardinal Pell: "Does the ABC's role in your persecution concern you?"

"Yes it does," Cardinal Pell replied.

"Because, I mean, it's partly financed by Catholic taxes."

Photo: Cardinal Pell is the most senior Australian member of the Catholic clergy. (AP: Rick Rycroft, file photo)

Cardinal Pell said he believed in the principle of free speech but accused the ABC of presenting only one view.

"I acknowledge the right of those who differ from me to state their views," he said.

"But in a national broadcaster to have an overwhelming presentation of one view, and only one view, I think that's a betrayal of the national interest."

The ABC's editorial director, Craig McMurtrie, has previously defended the organisation's coverage of Cardinal Pell's case, which he argued was "public-interest journalism".

"It was unquestionably a legitimate story, one that had to be pursued," Mr McMurtrie said.

He said the ABC had published the Cardinal's statement and the High Court's judgement summary in full online and on the ABC News Channel on the day of his release.

Photo: George Pell left Barwon Prison in Geelong after winning his High Court appeal. (AAP: James Ross)

Cardinal Pell spent more than 400 days in jail before being freed on April 7.

He was serving a six-year jail sentence after he was convicted in 2018 of abusing two choirboys in the 1990s, while he was the archbishop of Melbourne.

He had been accused of committing the crimes after he found the boys swigging altar wine in the priests' sacristy after mass in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral.

A jury convicted him in 2018 — a decision that the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld in a two-to-one decision.

But his lawyers went to the High Court, arguing the appeal court failed to take proper account of evidence that cast doubt on his guilt.

Last week the High Court granted Cardinal Pell's application for special leave and unanimously acquitted him.

Topics: religion-and-beliefs, catholic, community-and-society, law-crime-and-justice, police, prisons-and-punishment, courts-and-trials, australia, sydney-2000, melbourne-3000

First posted April 14, 2020 13:16:52