Cardinal George Pell is Australia's most senior Catholic cleric.<br/> <br />On Monday, appearing at a parliamentary hearing in Melbourne, he apologised to child victims of sexual abuse by priests.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE)(English) ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY, CARDINAL GEORGE PELL SAYING:<br/> <br />"I would just like that I am happy to accept the invitation of the premier (of the State of Victoria) to say that I am fully apologetic and absolutely sorry."<br/> <br />Child abuse scandals have haunted the Church for more than two decades in Australia.<br/> <br />But Pell blamed a former culture of silence for the cover-up of abuse by the clergy.<br/> <br />And he said church leaders in the past had been reluctant to share information about accused priests.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE)(English) ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY, CARDINAL GEORGE PELL SAYING:<br/> <br />"I think the bigger fault was that nobody would talk about it, nobody would mention it. So I don't think - I certainly was unaware of it - I don't think many, if any, persons in the leadersh
