Cardinal George Pell is set to publish his prison diary musing on life in solitary confinement, the Catholic Church, politics and sports.

Catholic publisher Ignatius Press says the first instalment of the 1000-page diary would likely be published in 2021.

Ignatius’ editor the Rev Joseph Fessio sent a letter to email subscribers asking for donations, saying Ignatius wanted to give Pell “appropriate advances” for the diary to help offset his legal debts.

The publisher envisages putting out three to four volumes and the diary becoming a “spiritual classic”.

Pell served 13 months in prison before the High Court in April acquitted him of sexual abuse charges involving two choirboys at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral during the 1990s.

In the diary, Pell muses on everything from his conversations with lawyers about his case to US politics and sports and his reform efforts at the Vatican.