Top Australian court will hear George Pell appeal

Cardinal George Pell will be given a final chance to challenge convictions of child sexual abuse.

Australia's top court granted the appeal on Wednesday (November 13).

They'll hear Pell's challenge in March at the earliest.

Seventy-eight-year-old Pell is the former treasurer of the Vatican.

He's currently in prison,serving a six-year-term for abusing two 13-year-old choir boys in the 1990s.

Pell lost his first challenge against his convictions in August.

The judge in a lower court referred to one of Pell's alleged victims as 'R' - another as 'J.'

All things considered, I impose the following sentences upon you. On charge one, being the indecent act against R, I convict and sentence you to two years and six months imprisonment. On charge two, being the sexual penetration against J, I convict and sentence you to four years imprisonment."

Pell lost his first challenge against his convictions in August.

He will stay behind bars while his legal team gets ready for his last appeal.

They'll argue that the lower court made an error in their decision.

Next year's ruling will be made by a majority of five or seven judges and can't be challenged further.

Cardinal Pell is the most senior Catholic official worldwide to be jailed for child sex offences.

However, he has consistently said he's innocent.

And while he has been stripped of his treasurer title, he remains a cardinal.

Pope Francis has declined to comment on the case until the appeals process runs its course.