Two leading candidates to succeed Pope Francis have come under fire for their handling of child sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Church. Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle have been accused of withholding crucial church documents related to abuse cases, according to the American watchdog group Bishop Accountability.
The group claims both men are unfit to address the ongoing issue of sexual abuse in the church, one of the most pressing challenges facing the Catholic institution today. Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishop Accountability, criticized the pair during a press conference outside the Vatican, accusing Cardinal Parolin of being a “consummate secret-keeper” who has obstructed justice by blocking requests for information related to abuse cases. She claimed Parolin’s office, as the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013, has prevented the release of critical documents in several countries, including Chile, Britain, and Poland.
Doyle also cited a specific example from Australia, where a royal commission found over 4,400 abused children and 1,100 clerics. She stated that despite repeated requests, the Vatican only provided files on two priests, leading to accusations of obstruction.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Tagle, former Archbishop of Manila, was accused of failing to address the abuse crisis in the Philippines, where guidelines on sexual abuse cases have not been made available online. Doyle questioned Tagle’s ability to tackle such issues on a global scale if he could not even address them in his own country.
In response, the Philippine bishops’ conference defended Tagle, stating that any allegations of misconduct by clergy fall under the responsibility of diocesan bishops, not Tagle, who no longer holds authority over dioceses in the Philippines since his appointment to the Vatican.
The conclave to elect the next pope will begin on Wednesday, with Cardinals from around the world gathering to cast their votes.