George Pell's latest coup

George Pell missed out on a spot on our list of powerful Sydneysiders, but the opening of a lavish new refuge for Australian tourists in Rome testifies to his influence within the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, has been the driving force behind Domus Australia, a $30 million pilgrim centre located 4km from the Vatican. It will be officially opened by Pope Benedict on Thursday.

It's another coup for the conservative-minded cardinal. He is believed to have acted as a "campaign manager" for Joseph Ratinzger (now Pope Benedict) in the 2005 papal election and made a successful bid for Sydney to host World Youth Day in 2008. This brought Pope Benedict to Australia for the first time since his inauguration.

Domus Australia contains a 32-room hotel, a pilgrim information centre and a refurbished chapel featuring a large Australian coat of arms and a painting of Saint Mary MacKillop standing beneath the Southern Cross.

Cardinal Pell, whose own coat of arms adorns the chapel's wall, began his search for a suitable site eight years ago, The Australian reports today.

Domus Australia was funded by a combination of loans, private donations and contributions from the archdioceses of Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth and the diocese of Lismore. Luckily, bookings have been strong because the refuge will have to pay its own way now that it's up and running.

Cardinal Pell hopes that the refuge will lift Australia's profile in the Vatican and encourage more Australians to focus on Rome's religious aspects.