Cardinal George Pell denied he misled a man complaining of sexual abuse by a Sydney priest when he wrote him a letter in 2003 saying his abuse claim was rejected because there were no other complaints against the same priest.
Australian television reported that Pell wrote another letter on the same day to a different man saying his claim of sexual abuse by the same priest was upheld.
"Cardinal Pell misrepresented the truth. It destroyed my faith," Anthony Jones told Australian Broadcasting Corp's (ABC) "Lateline" programme on Monday night.
"He had to know that there was other complaints because he wrote to the man who as an 11-year-old boy was assaulted by Father Goodall on the same day," said Jones.
"I now hate Catholicism because of what Cardinal Pell has done to me, more so than what Father Goodall did to me."
Catholic priest Terence Goodall was convicted in 2005 of indecently assaulting Jones in 1982.
Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers in Australia are calling on Pope Benedict to apologise when he arrives in Sydney on Sunday for World Youth Day, July 15-20.
The Pope confronted the issue of sexual abuse in the church during a visit to Washington in April, meeting victims and vowing to keep paedophiles out of the priesthood.
