Pope Francis Long Knew of Cardinal’s Abuse and Must Resign, Archbishop Says

The New York Times’ Jason Horowitz reports, “On the final day of Pope Francis’ mission to Ireland, as he issued wrenching apologies for clerical sex abuse scandals, a former top Vatican diplomat claimed in a letter published on Sunday that the pope himself had joined top Vatican officials in covering up the abuses and called for his resignation.” The 7,000-word letter, authored by Carlo Maria Viganò, a vocal critic of Pope Francis, says the pope secretly sanctioned Cardinal Theodore McCarrick for allegations of sexual abuse. Horowitz adds that Viganò’s claims escalate the rift between the pope and more conservative Catholics who worry that the pope’s emphasis on social issues “dilute church doctrine and pose a mortal threat to the future of the faith.”

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