(Archbishop Victor Manuel) Fernández said he had spoken to the pope about the criticism received about Lorenzo’s case and was told: “You explain reality as it was.”
By Almudena Calatrava and Natacha Pisarenko, Associated Press, in National Catholic Reporter
“Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, chosen by Pope Francis to head the Vatican office that ensures doctrinal orthodoxy, conceded July 9 he made mistakes in handling a 2019 case of a priest accused of sexual abuse of minors.
“The case has drawn allegations by critics that Fernández tried to protect the priest, a charge that he has denied.
“‘Today I would certainly act very differently and certainly my performance was insufficient,’ he told The Associated Press during an interview after celebrating Mass in La Plata, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) south of Buenos Aires.
“Francis appointed Fernández on July 1 to head the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which guarantees doctrinal orthodoxy and one of whose areas involves handling sexual abuse allegations brought against clergy. He was also named a cardinal July 9 along with about two dozen religious.
By Almudena Calatrava and Natacha Pisarenko, Associated Press, in National Catholic Reporter — Read more …