Just how much is Cardinal George Pell's word worth?

It's up to you to judge the contents of this ABC Four Corners 3 July 2012 transcript:

“GEOFF THOMPSON: Kevin Lee says that incident was reported to superiors. A church investigation was finally ordered. On the 3rd of September 1992 Father F was called to a meeting at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. What happened at the meeting is crucial to understanding the major flaws in the way the Catholic Church deals in-house with allegations of sexual abuse. The meeting with Father F was presided over by three senior Catholic priests - Father Brian Lucas, Father Wayne Peters and Father John Usher.

CARDINAL GEORGE PELL: The file note of that meeting shows... does not show that he made any admission - and that is the recollection of the three priests who were actually at that. They were dissatisfied with his credibility; they thought he represented some sort of danger for the future, and although he'd made no admissions to them, they suggested to the Bishop who followed it that he should be stood down……

GEOFF THOMPSON: So, let's be perfectly clear. Under oath, in this court of law, Father F admitted to having oral sex with young boys. What's more, he confirmed he made that admission at that 1992 meeting with three senior priests - including Father Brian Lucas who is the current General Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Now somewhat strangely, Australia's most senior Catholic, speaking on behalf of Brian Lucas, says he does not believe that admission was made.

CARDINAL GEORGE PELL: I certainly didn't know that; I'm surprised at that. I would take the word of three priests against that allegation. I think it's fair enough for Brian Lucas, as one of those three priests, to have me speak for him - I've reported what the file note says and what he said about what happened at that particular meeting.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Since interviewing Cardinal Pell, Four Corners has obtained a report of that meeting - a copy of which is contained in the court file of Daniel Powell's extortion case. It tells a very different story….”

Catholic Church Tribunal Letter 1992

Four Corners goes on to mention that "F" is now a lay person living and working in Armidale.
For a number of years he's apparently been writing for The Armidale Express and The Armidale Independent, as well as for The Catholic Weekly. He belongs to the Catholic Historical Society among others.
A University of New England newsletter seems to point to "F" having had contact with that educational insitution in the early 2000s.
If the snapshot from the 5th July 7.30 Report can be believed "F" i s also a member of Lions up Armidale way - having been sponsored by a fellow Census collector and probably distant rellie.

 
UPDATE:
The Sydney Morning Herald on 18th October 2012:
"A former NSW priest who allegedly told three senior Catholic clergy a decade ago that he had repeatedly sexually abused altar boys has been arrested in Armidale for historic offences against girls.
Detectives arrested the man known as Father F in the state's New England region today in relation to a number of child-sex offences against three female children in the 1970s and 1980s.
The State Crime Command's sex crimes squad set up Strike Force Glenroe in July to investigate allegations that Father F had abused altar boys while a priest based in Armidale and Parramatta."