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FILE – In this archival photo of August 22, 2018, Pope Francis is caught in a pensive mood during his weekly hearing at the Vatican. Francis' papacy was put in crisis by accusations that he concealed sexual misconduct of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. (AP Photo / Andrew Medichini, File)
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FILE – In this archival photo of March 4, 2015, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick speaks at a ceremony in South Bend, Indiana. A letter from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri in 2006 confirms that the Holy See received in 2000 misbehavior from the American Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who has resigned today, giving credibility to the bombing of the charges of camouflage at the highest level of the Catholic Church (Robert Franklin Tribune / South Bend via AP, Pool, File)
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican is preparing "necessary clarifications" on accusations that senior Vatican officials, including Pope Francis, have concealed the sexual misconduct of a now – dishonored American cardinal, said Monday. Francis's senior advisers.
In a statement, Francis's nine cardinal councilors expressed their "full solidarity" with the pope over the scandal that put his papacy in crisis.
The cardinals, who are meeting at the Vatican this week, said they were aware that "the Holy See is working to formulate the potential and necessary clarifications."
Francis refused to respond to the 11-page document published on Aug. 26 by US retired Ambassador Carlo Maria Vigano.
Vigano has appointed more than twenty current and former Vatican officials and accused them of knowing and hiding ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, accused of sexually assaulting minors and adults.
Vigano notably accused Francis of rehabilitating McCarrick with the canonical sanctions imposed on him by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 or 2010.
The Vatican has known since at least 2000 that McCarrick slept with seminarians.
Francis withdrew McCarrick as a cardinal in July on charges of testing a young altar in the 1970s, a canonical crime that could make him lose consciousness.
Francis' refusal to respond immediately to Vigano's demands frustrated many American Catholics, who were already outraged that McCarrick's inclination for seminarians and young priests was an open secret in some Catholic circles.
This scandal was compounded by revelations in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, which described the mistreatment of more than 1,000 children by some 300 priests in 70 years, while the bishops covered them.
Since the report was released in Pennsylvania last month, prosecutors in half a dozen other states have announced plans for similar investigations.
