Pope should not resign, but religious abuse court needs – Bannon

ROME (Reuters) – Steve Bannon, former political strategist of President Donald Trump, who is close to conservative Catholics, said Pope Francis should not resign for accusations of mismanagement of a sex abuse scandal.

However, Bannon told Reuters he was working to establish an independent, non-partisan tribunal to investigate decades of scandals in the American Church, warning that dioceses across the country were ruins.

In a statement that stunned the church, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said last month that Pope Francis must retreat for covering up a former American cardinal accused of sexual assault on adult children and seminarians.

Some media have seen the hands of fierce conservative critics of Francis behind the unprecedented attack against a living pope, including American cardinal Raymond Burke, who is close to Bannon.

Burke told reporters in Rome last week that he had been "deeply shaken" by Vigano's accusations and called for an investigation. But Bannon, himself a Catholic, is clearly distant from Vigano, asserting that a papal resignation was not appropriate.

"It's as serious as possible. We can not have memos, letters and charges. The pope comes from an unbroken chain of the Vicar of Christ on Earth. You do not just sit down and say, "I think you should resign," said Bannon during a visit to Rome.

Instead, he said that an independent tribunal should be created to examine all aspects of the growing scandals.

"Until we do that, I do not think people should give in to judgments. It's so bad. It is an existential threat to the heart of the institution of the Catholic Church. There is no doctrine or dogma of the Church, "he said.

"WITCH HUNT"

Pope Francis refused to comment on the Vigano attack, which was the last blow to the credibility of the Church.

Last month, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released the findings of the largest survey ever conducted on sexual abuse in the American Catholic Church, estimating that 301 priests had sexually abused minors in the past 70 years. Other US states have also launched extensive investigations.

Bannon predicted that the church should pay millions of dollars in damages, compensation and legal fees. "You will see a huge financial liquidation of the Church over the next 10, 15 or 20 years on the basis of this scandal," he said.

Since being elected in 2013, conservatives have strongly criticized Francis, claiming that he has left many faithful confused by statements that the church should be more welcoming to homosexuals and divorced Catholics and not be obsessed with cultural warfare issues such as abortion.

During his stay in Rome, Bannon met with the head of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI), a conservative, Catholic-based group based in Italy, which he supports.

He said he was in contact with "personalities" of the United States to create a court and felt that it was too important to let the church itself examine its shortcomings.

"It has nothing to do with whether you're a liberal Catholic or a right-wing traditionist … It can not be considered a witch hunt," he said.