Cardinal accused of abuse: Pope recommends thorough investigation

Pope Francis has ordered a thorough investigation into Theodore McCarrick. The American cardinal is accused of sexual abuse. In August, the pope and other senior clergymen were accused of having covered that abuse for years.

According to Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the pope had lifted the sanctions imposed by his predecessor Benedict. McCarrick was punished for having sexually abused priests and seminarians. “Reports on that were swept under the carpet,” Vigano said. McCarrick resigned as a cardinal in July.

“Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example. He must resign, along with the cardinals and bishops who have covered McCarrick’s abuse,” it sounded in a letter of eleven pages long.

The pope then responded ‘not amused’ to questions from journalists. “I read the announcement this morning,” he said. “I do not say a word about this. I think the text speaks for itself. You have sufficient journalistic capacities to draw conclusions. If there is some time left, I might talk about it.”

Source: Belga