Pope Benedict XVI has pushed again towards accusations that he knew in 1980 that a priest underneath his management was an abuser, whereas denying he had deliberately hid his presence at a gathering concerning the priest that 12 months.
Benedict, now 94, turned the primary Pope in centuries to resign when he stepped down in 2013. His eight-year tenure was overshadowed by a world sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church.
Most not too long ago, Benedict has been underneath fireplace over his time as Archbishop of Munich and Freising, between 1977 and 1982, after a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there was printed final month.
The report discovered that he had been knowledgeable of 4 instances of sexual abuse involving minors - together with two throughout his time in Munich - however didn't act. The report additionally revealed Benedict had attended a gathering about an abuser recognized as Priest X, although the retired pontiff's testimony to investigators denied he had been current.
Days after the report's publication, the previous pope admitted he had gone to the assembly, blaming his earlier denial to investigators on "an error within the modifying of his assertion."
On Tuesday, 4 specialists working for the retired pope mentioned that though Benedict - then often known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - was on the assembly, he was not conscious that the priest was an abuser.
"It was completely a query of the lodging of the younger Priest X in Munich as a result of he needed to bear remedy there. This request was complied with. Throughout the assembly the explanation for the remedy was not talked about," the specialists mentioned.
The investigators' findings - which have now immediately implicated him in a failure to stop and punish abuse - are threatening to wreck the popularity of the previous pontiff.
Regardless of this, Benedict additionally mentioned Tuesday he's "of fine cheer" as he faces "the ultimate decide of my life," in a private response to the accusations leveled towards him within the probe.
"Fairly quickly, I shall discover myself earlier than the ultimate decide of my life. Despite the fact that, as I look again on my lengthy life, I can have nice cause for concern and trembling, I'm nonetheless of fine cheer, for I belief firmly that the Lord will not be solely the simply decide, but in addition the good friend and brother who himself has already suffered for my shortcomings," the retired pope wrote in a letter launched by the Vatican.
Benedict once more conceded that he had attended the 1980 assembly about an abusive priest, this time calling his denial to the legal professionals who compiled the report an "oversight."
"This error, which regrettably was verified, was not deliberately willed and I hope could also be excused," Benedict wrote.
He additionally issued a basic apology to survivors of abuse, writing: "As soon as once more I can solely categorical to all of the victims of sexual abuse my profound disgrace, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt admission of guilt."