Ex-Pope admits lying about priests who have sex with children
Former Pope Benedict XVI issued a statement commenting on allegations of inaction amid child abuse by priests of his diocese.
The events took place from 1977 to 1982, when the former Pope served as Archbishop of Munich.
Benedict is accused of knowing that several priests were transferred to his diocese suspected of violence against boys, but they were still allowed to serve in his community. The former pope himself had previously denied attending the meeting, where the issue of “priests who have sex with children” was discussed.
However, the former pope has now admitted that he was present at this meeting. According to him, he initially provided false information not “intentionally, but as a result of an oversight when editing his statements.”
In this regard, the former pope asked for forgiveness and affirmed that he repented of his mistake.
According to the latest reports from the dioceses of Munich and Freising, between 1945 and 2019, nearly 500 children were abused by priests.
Most of the investigations into these incidents were carried out by the law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl and charges were brought against Benedict.
Earlier it was reported that the Pope commented on the report on pedophiles in the Church in France.
