For a guy who loves to talk, Pope Francis sure has picked a funny time to be silent.

The Holy Father dodged questions this weekend about an 11-page document alleging he knowingly enabled and empowered sexual predators in the Catholic Church. The New York Times weirdly characterized the pope’s non-response as taking “the high road,” but it’s hard to reconcile this description with the role Francis is supposed to play for the Catholic faithful around the world.