Pope Francis refused to act after learning of sexual abuse allegations against a former Washington, D.C., archbishop, a former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. claims.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who maintains his innocence, resigned in August amid allegations that he sexually abused minors as young as 11 years old. The Catholic church in June said the accusations were credible.
[More: Pope Francis won’t comment on ex-archbishop’s sexual misconduct]
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano claims he discussed the allegations against McCarrick with Francis in 2013 and said the current leader of the Catholic church should resign because of his refusal to take action at the time, according to a CBS News report.
“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 to cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them,” Vigano wrote in a statement.
Francis addressed the claims against McCarrick and others in a recent speech in Ireland and vowed to rid the church of the “scourge” of sexual abuse.
“The failure of ecclesiastical authorities — bishops, religious superiors, priests and others — to adequately address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community,” he said. “I myself share these sentiments.”
