In a report on sexual abuse at the German diocese in Munich, Benedict XVI was accused of not preventing wrongdoings of clerics
On Thursday, an inquest found that Pope Benedict XVI did not prevent abuses from clerics during the time he served as Archbishop at Munich.
Benedict has repeatedly refuted allegations that he was aware of abuse claims in the 1970s and ‘80s, stating in 2013 that he “never tried to cover up these things.”Lawyers have argued that he knew of the priests’ actions but rejected his denial. “the church didn’t do anything.”
The report makes a shocking assessment and states: “then-Archbishop Cardinal Ratzinger can be accused of misconduct”The church’s handling of abuse allegations in the period 1945 to 2019 was examined.
“During his time in office there were abuse cases happening … He claims that he didn’t know about certain facts, although we believe that this is not so, according to what we know,”One of the attorneys said.
An inquest quoted a transcript of the January 15, 1980 minutes of a Munich meeting of church leaders. According to the report, the meeting was convened to discuss allegations against a cleric named only as ‘Priest X.’ The lawyers investigating stated they were “surprised” by Benedict’s denial, as the minutes show he was in attendance.
Munich’s current Archbishop, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, an ally of Pope Francis, said the lawyers who produced the inquest had informed church officials ahead of the report’s publication.
Despite not being implicated in the allegations, last year, Marx offered to resign over the church’s “catastrophic”Pope Francis declined to accept his proposal for handling abuse cases. Marx was unable to attend Thursday’s presentation, a decision that lawyers regret.
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