'Honest George': Cardinal Pell gets a warm welcome in Rome amid probe into whether shadowy forces funded the sex abuse charges against him

Australia's Cardinal Pell has been hailed as 'honest George' in Italian media reports after returning to Rome where ousted cardinal and his long-time rival Angelo Becciu is being investigated for embezzling Vatican funds.

Reports this week said Vatican investigators were probing whether the money was used to fund the sexual abuse case against Pell, which eventually failed in Australia's High Court earlier this year.

There has been a bitter feud between the two cardinals going back to when Pope Francis appointed Pell as his powerful money tsar to clean up the Vatican's finances.

Cardinal George Pell was spotted enjoying a drink at a cafe in the Vatican City

Cardinal George Pell is seen having dinner on October 04, 2020 in Vatican City

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera speculated that Vatican investigators were examining whether Becciu wired 700,000 euros ($A1.1 million) in Vatican money to a bank account in Australia and if that money was tied to Pell's sex abuse trial.

No sources or documents were cited.

A Victorian man who accused Pell, 79, of sexually abusing him when he was a choir boy in Melbourne in 1996 has denied he was bribed for his testimony.

Vivian Waller, a lawyer for 'Witness J', whose testimony led a jury to convict Pell in 2018, said this week her client 'denies any knowledge or receipt of any payments' and won't be commenting further.

Pell had to take leave of absence as the Vatican's economy minister in 2017 to return to Australia to stand trial.

He was found guilty in Victoria's Supreme Court and that was upheld on appeal, before the case was taken to the High Court, which overturned the verdict in April.

After release from prison, Pell said he knew of the 'Vatican bullets for Victorian trial' charge but had not seen any documents about it.

He welcomed Francis forcing the resignation of Becciu, although without naming him.

Sources say Pell had returned to Rome to gather possessions from his Vatican apartment but he will have an audience with Pope Francis while in the Italian capital.

Pell was convicted in 2018 of sexually abusing the choirboys (pictured at a cafe in the Vatican City)

Australian Cardinal George Pell arrives at his residence in Rome, Italy, 30 September 2020

Shortly before Pell's return to Rome, Francis requested the resignation of Becciu who until recently was very close to him.

Until two years ago, when Becciu was put in charge of the saint-certifying office and made a cardinal, he was effectively No. 3 in the Vatican.

Among other things he was in charge of the Secretariat of State's finances.

A significant portion of these come from 'Peter's Pence', a yearly financial contribution to the Pope for charitable purposes from Catholics worldwide which until recently was estimated at over $A70 million a year.

In 2014 Francis had surprised the Church's central bureaucracy, the Roman Curia, by creating a Secretariat for the Economy with Pell as its Prefect.

It was on the same level as the Secretariat of State which previously had reigned supreme, coordinating the other Vatican offices.

Pell promised greater transparency and an end to financial shenanigans.

Many in the Curia welcomed Pell as a new broom, but not the old guard and Secretariat of State which was particularly annoyed when Pell gave an interview disclosing it had an unlisted money reserve.

There had been complaints about 'the Australian mafia' from the moment Pell arrived with other Australian staff.

Cardinal George Pell leaves the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne, Thursday, June 6, 2019

Australian Cardinal George Pell arrives at Rome's international airport in Fiumicino, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020

He paid them what they could have gained working for non-Church bodies but some curialists grumbled that they were working for a Church body and should not receive more than their predecessors did for comparable work.

Moreover, the brusque style of Pell, still described in Italian media as a 'rugbyist', irritated some curialists.

Days after Pell left Rome 'to clear his name' in Australia, Becciu complained of being spied upon by the Economy Secretariat's chief auditor, Libero Milone.

Milone was investigating Becciu's financial operations. Milone was harassed and resigned, with his appeal to Francis and his request for a trial ignored.

In a press briefing last month, Becciu said he had differed with Pell but their relations had been cordial until, in a meeting with Francis, Pell accused him of being dishonest, which made him lose his temper.

He said later that Francis told him he had been justified.

Now Becciu has been sacked because Francis accepted investigators' claims he was part of a gang which had stripped the Vatican of millions of euros.

Becciu is accused of sending Peter's Pence money to his brothers in his native Sardinia. The family say he did not enrich his brothers but aided the charitable organisations they headed. This has been backed up by the local bishop.

Becciu admits he made errors but never profited personally and his demotion was disproportionate.

The Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has reportedly said Pell's return to Rome only a few days after Becciu's demotion was coincidental.

Becciu's resignation looks like a confirmation of Pell's accusation of dishonesty but some still speak up for Becciu, the case is complex and the cardinal has requested a trial where he could defend himself.