This week the Vatican announced that it would be responding to allegations that “Pope Francis covered up” sexual abuse by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Claims of this action were recently brought to light by former Vatican Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò who wrote an open letter to the pope calling him out for his lack of action in the cases of sex abuse in the Catholic church.
Sexual abuse in the church is not just a Catholic problem. According to a recent WORLD Magazine cover story, Protestant clergy are also guilty of widespread sexual assaults.
On Thursday, the Archdiocese of Baltimore released a statement that said, the pope has instructed Baltimore Archbishop William Lori to “conduct an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of adults against Bishop Bransfield.”
The archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who has faced calls to step down over his handling of sexual abuse cases while serving as bishop of Pittsburgh, said in a letter to priests that he will soon go to Rome to meet with Pope Francis to discuss his possible resignation.
Two leading German publications are saying a report on sexual abuse in Germany inside the Catholic Church has come to light detailing 3,677 abuse cases by Catholic clergy between 1946 and 2014.
During Mass in Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning, Pope Francis told bishops, that the “Great Accuser” is trying to make scandals out of the Catholic church by uncovering their sins.
After Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro unveiled a grand jury report detailing the alleged sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children in his state by Catholic priests, law enforcement officials in at least seven other states appear to be launching their own inquiries or reviews of Catholic dioceses.
On Thursday, columnist Matthew Schmitz tweeted a letter written by the CEO of Legatus, an organization of Catholic businessmen and women, which stated that they will be delaying their annual tithe of almost $1 million to the Vatican.
On Sunday, “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Patricia Heaton, called Pope Francis out for his response to the Catholic church sexual abuse scandal.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., shared on Sunday that he told Pope Francis about accusations of sexual abuse made against a prominent priest in 2013. Vigano reported that despite being told about the accusations, Francis took no action.
