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The pontiff has revealed the existence of documents relating to a series of abuse and corruption scandals in the Catholic Church
A sitting Pope has for the first time revealed the existence of files detailing “abuse” and “dark dealings” in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has confirmed that he inherited a “large white box” of documents detailing crimes by clergy when he took over from his predecessor Benedict XVI. The revelation features in the pontiff’s autobiography, Spera (Hope).
Francis became Pope in 2013 following the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI, formerly German Cardinal Ratzinger, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to step down, citing deteriorating health. The papacy of Benedict, who died in December 2022, was marred by revelations of sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church which he was accused of having covered up.
The last year of his tenure was further smeared by the ‘Vatileaks’ scandal – a series of leaks which exposed allegations of corruption, internal conflicts, and financial mismanagement within the Vatican.
“He gave me a large white box,” Francis writes, recalling his visit to 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,’” he said, according to The Guardian.
Benedict told him the box contained documents about the actions he had taken and the people he had “removed,” adding that it was now Francis’ turn.
“I have continued along his path,” the pontiff said in his book.
The book, co-written by Italian author Carlo Musso was released on Tuesday and, according to its publisher Mondadori, is the first time a sitting Pope has written such a personal chronicle, although Francis has published other memoir-style works in the past.
Francis also advocates for greater female involvement in ecclesiastical life, saying ”the Church is female – it is not male,” although he ruled out women becoming priests.
The 88-year-old pontiff also recalls his youth in Buenos Aires, Argentina, including a fight with a fellow student who ”even lost his senses” after hitting his head when thrown to the ground, according to CNN.
Even as leader of the Catholic Church, Francis admits he is still committing ”mistakes and sins.”
The memoir also recounts pivotal moments in his papacy, including two assassination attempts during his 2021 visit to Iraq.
