"The desecration of this church and altar is demonic, demonic," Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond said. "Let me be clear, there is no excuse for what took place here. It is sinful, and it is totally unacceptable.”

The Vatican released a brief video clip of the meeting, a clear sign both the pope and Pell wanted the reception to be seen widely.

Father Gabriele Martinelli faces charges of sexually abusing younger boys when he was a seminarian at the St. Pius X Pre-Seminary. Father Enrico Radice, former rector of the seminary, is accused of aiding and abetting the abuse.

The Victoria Police media unit said Monday they couldn’t find any record that the Vatican had alleged witnesses against Pell were bribed with Vatican money.

In a response provided to The Associated Press, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops defended its anti-abuse efforts, which church officials say have helped reduce abuse allegations since 2002 to numbers far lower than several decades ago.

An interview with Karna Lozoya, host of "Crisis," a new podcast from The Catholic Project.