Pope Acknowledges Existence of Documents Pertaining to Vatican’s ‘dark dealings’
The pontiff has acknowledged the existence of documents connected to scandals within the Catholic Church. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Pope has disclosed the existence of documents related to various abuse and corruption scandals within the Catholic Church for the first time. Pope Francis confirmed that he received a “large white box” filled with files detailing crimes committed by clergy when he assumed the papacy from his predecessor, Benedict XVI. This revelation is part of the pontiff’s autobiography, Spera.
Francis became Pope in 2013, following the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI, previously known as German Cardinal Ratzinger, who was the first pope in nearly 600 years to step down, citing health concerns. Benedict's papacy, which ended with his death in December 2022, was overshadowed by numerous sexual abuse scandals that he was accused of covering up.
During the final year of Benedict's tenure, the 'Vatileaks' scandal emerged, revealing allegations of corruption, internal strife, and financial mismanagement within the Vatican.
“He gave me a large white box,” Francis recalled regarding his visit with Benedict at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome, shortly after his election. “‘Everything is in here,’ he told me. ‘Documents relating to the most difficult and painful situations. Cases of abuse, corruption, dark dealings, wrongdoings,’” as reported by The Guardian.
Benedict indicated that the box contained documents about the actions he had taken and the individuals he had “removed,” adding that it was now Francis’ responsibility.
“I have continued along his path,” the pontiff noted in his book.
The autobiography, co-written with Italian author Carlo Musso, was released on Tuesday. According to its publisher, Mondadori, this is the first time a sitting pope has penned such a personal account, although Francis has previously published other memoir-style works.
In the book, Francis also promotes increased female participation in ecclesiastical life, stating, “the Church is female – it is not male,” though he has ruled out the possibility of women becoming priests.
The 88-year-old pontiff reflects on his youth in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing memories of an altercation with a fellow student who “even lost his senses” after sustaining a head injury from being thrown to the ground, as noted by CNN.
Even while serving as the leader of the Catholic Church, Francis acknowledges his own “mistakes and sins.”
Additionally, the memoir recounts significant events from his papacy, including the two assassination attempts he faced during his 2021 visit to Iraq.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
Francis became Pope in 2013, following the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI, previously known as German Cardinal Ratzinger, who was the first pope in nearly 600 years to step down, citing health concerns. Benedict's papacy, which ended with his death in December 2022, was overshadowed by numerous sexual abuse scandals that he was accused of covering up.
During the final year of Benedict's tenure, the 'Vatileaks' scandal emerged, revealing allegations of corruption, internal strife, and financial mismanagement within the Vatican.
“He gave me a large white box,” Francis recalled regarding his visit with Benedict at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome, shortly after his election. “‘Everything is in here,’ he told me. ‘Documents relating to the most difficult and painful situations. Cases of abuse, corruption, dark dealings, wrongdoings,’” as reported by The Guardian.
Benedict indicated that the box contained documents about the actions he had taken and the individuals he had “removed,” adding that it was now Francis’ responsibility.
“I have continued along his path,” the pontiff noted in his book.
The autobiography, co-written with Italian author Carlo Musso, was released on Tuesday. According to its publisher, Mondadori, this is the first time a sitting pope has penned such a personal account, although Francis has previously published other memoir-style works.
In the book, Francis also promotes increased female participation in ecclesiastical life, stating, “the Church is female – it is not male,” though he has ruled out the possibility of women becoming priests.
The 88-year-old pontiff reflects on his youth in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing memories of an altercation with a fellow student who “even lost his senses” after sustaining a head injury from being thrown to the ground, as noted by CNN.
Even while serving as the leader of the Catholic Church, Francis acknowledges his own “mistakes and sins.”
Additionally, the memoir recounts significant events from his papacy, including the two assassination attempts he faced during his 2021 visit to Iraq.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
