Iran Press/Europe: Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano claimed Pope Francis had known about allegations of sex abuse against a prominent cardinal, Theodore McCarrick in the US and sanctions imposed on him by Pope Benedict XVI over sexual misconduct were lifted under Francis.
"In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal Church, he must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick's abuses and resign along with all of them," Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said.
Archbishop Vigano has also said he warned Francis about the allegations shortly after he became Pope in 2013.In an 11-page statement, the archbishop compared cover-ups of abuse within the church to "a conspiracy of silence not so dissimilar from the one that prevails in the Mafia.
As the pontiff ended his historic two-day visit to Ireland, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano in an 11-page statement said that Pope continued to cover for McCarrick despite the sanctions and even made him his trusted counsellor.
American Cardinal Theodore McCarrick,88, resigned last month over claims of sexual abuse against a 16-year-old boy. Francis accepted McCarrick's resignation as cardinal last month, after an internal US investigation found that an accusation he had sexually abused a minor was credible.
