“I signed my letter of resignation. The foreign minister was Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and told him, ‘If it’s a medical disability or whatever, here’s my resignation. You already have it. I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone gave it to, but I gave it to him when he was secretary of state,” Pope said in an interview with ABC.
The pope, who turns 86 this Saturday, also referred to cases of sexual harassment by some clerics: “There is no bargaining option against harassment, you ruined people.”
“So painful, so painful. They are people who were destroyed by someone who was supposed to help them mature and grow. This is so hard. Even if it’s a one-time event, it’s outrageous that the person who is supposed to lead you to God destroys you along the way. And there is no negotiation on this matter,” he said.
When asked if society sees the Church acting resolutely and trusting forgiveness, the pope said: “It is good that we are on this path. Whether or not forgiveness takes place is not just up to us.
Pope Francis laments ‘our time lacks peace’
But he adds: “I want to say something. It is necessary to interpret the problems with the interpretation of the period in which he lived (…). The interpretation of the past was to hide everything, as is unfortunately the case with some segments of society today, such as families and neighborhoods.
When asked if he has an explanation for the cover-ups in earlier times, he replies: “This is human progress taking on more and more moral questions that need not exist as such. Become increasingly aware. And that was Benedict’s courage,” he added, referring to the honorary pope.
Related Note: Pope Francis: “Peace begins with love for the enemy”
Statistics show that between 42% and 46% of abuses occur within the family or in the neighborhood and are covered up, the pope says.
“That’s what we did, until the scandals broke out in Boston (US) in 2002. Why is that? My explanation is that there is not enough strength to face them. Be careful, I understand they don’t know how to confront them, but I don’t justify them.
“First he covered the church – he says – and then he had the grace to open his eyes and say ‘no’ to the end result.”
He says about the situation in Ukraine: “We are doing our best. You do not obey. What is happening in Ukraine is frightening. There is tremendous brutality. This is a very serious situation and I continue to condemn it.
Source: Ultimahora
Source link
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
