VATICAN CITY: The Vatican is preparing the “necessary clarifications” about accusations that top Vatican officials including Pope Francis covered up the sexual misconduct of a now-disgraced American ex-cardinal, Francis’ top advisers said Monday. In a statement, Francis’ nine cardinal advisers expressed their “full solidarity” with the pope over the scandal, which has thrown his papacy into crisis. Specifically, Vigano accused Francis of rehabilitating McCarrick from canonical sanctions imposed on him by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 or 2010. The Vatican has known since at least 2000 that McCarrick slept with seminarians. He has denied wrongdoing and is on a leave of absence from his job as the Vatican’s finance minister.

Source: Pakistan Today September 10, 2018 18:33 UTC