Islamabad, Aug. 23 -- Catholic Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli asserted pedophile convict Cardinal George Pell is telling the truth about his innocence, and wonders if the sole living victim got the name of his abuser wrong though he says he believes him too.

His statement came the day after Victoria's Court of Appeal upheld Cardinal's conviction for the abuse of a 13-year-old choirboy and sexual assault of another at Melbourne's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1996.

Archbishop Comensoli said that while he respected the courts, he also believed his friend and will continue to visit him in prison.

"I believe in what he said to me on many occasions - that he's innocent - I continue to be really quite shocked with all of how things are de...