“When the world’s cardinals met in Rome last Monday for the first of their crucial pre-conclave discussions, they raised ‘the issue of clerical abuse’, according to a Vatican spokesman. The cardinals are forbidden to reveal anything that was said. But behind closed doors, the preparations for the conclave – which starts on Wednesday – are already mired in scandal.” Daily Mail
The article from the Daily Mail, published on May 3, 2025, alleges that Pope Francis shielded sexual predators within the Catholic clergy during his papacy. It highlights several cases, including:
Fr. Julio Grassi, an Argentine priest likened to Jimmy Savile, who used his orphanage as a cover for assaulting teenage boys. Convicted in 2008, he remained free during appeals, with the article claiming Francis concealed or excused such crimes.
This will no doubt have a bearing on the coming Conclave. It needs serious attention by the next pope. https://t.co/gImp4aLJ0n
— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) May 4, 2025
Marko Rupnik, a Slovenian priest and artist accused of sexually and psychologically abusing 20 nuns in the 1990s. One nun, Anna, alleged violent assaults, including one that resulted in her losing her virginity. Despite expulsion from the Jesuits, Rupnik returned to ministry in Slovenia in 2023, and only after public outcry did Francis agree to a trial, which stalled.
Other cases include Argentine seminarians assaulted by their bishop and a Belgian teenager abused by his bishop uncle, with the article asserting Francis went to extreme lengths to cover up or excuse these incidents.
The article frames these scandals as a common thread, suggesting Francis’s actions protected abusers, particularly noting Rupnik’s vulnerability after Francis’s death, implying the Pope was his protector. It reports that cardinals discussed clerical abuse in pre-conclave meetings in Rome, indicating ongoing concern within the Church.
May the next Pope protect our children and vulnerable people from the sexual predation of a select group of clergy! Jesus…please heal our Church! https://t.co/LDmsFQHClT
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) May 5, 2025
You can read the full report here > https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14675793/Peoples-Pope-shielded-sexual-predators-clergy-priest-accused-violently-raping-nuns.html
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