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Former Pope Benedict XVI has admitted providing false information during an investigation into sexual abuse when he was archbishop of Munich.
Last week, he was accused in a report of failing to act over child sexual abuse during his time as archbishop. The report says that Benedict, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was Archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982, knew of child-abusing priests who remained in active pastoral care roles under his watch in southern Germany.
Lawyers who investigated the abuse had disputed an assertion by Benedict that he did not recall attending a meeting in 1980 to discuss the case of an abuser priest.
On Monday, a statement given to the Catholic News Agency said Benedict had in fact attended that meeting, adding that the omission was not “done out of malicious intent, but was the result of an oversight in the editing of his statement.”
The statement concluded that Benedict “is very sorry for this mistake and asks to be excused.”
At least 235 alleged perpetrators were uncovered in the Archdiocese of Munich, according to last week’s report, which examined sexual abuse and the handling of complaints in the period from 1945 to 2019. The study discovered at least 497 victims.
Last week, current Pope Francis pledged “justice” for the victims of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic Church.
Source: Politico
