Former Pope Benedict has denied that he tried to cover up sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests, in his first published comments since he stepped down.
Reuters says the comments came in an 11-page letter to Italian author and mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi, who had written a book about the problems facing the Roman Catholic Church before the pope resigned in February.
“As far as you mentioning the moral abuse of minors by priests, I can only, as you know, acknowledge it with profound consternation. But I never tried to cover up these things,” Benedict, who now has the title Emeritus Pope, said.
Excerpts of Benedict’s letter were published in the Rome Newspaper La Republica, on Tuesday with the former pope’s permission.
It was believed to be the first time Benedict has responded to the sexual abuse accusations in the first person, although the Vatican has always said he did much to put an end to sexual abuse of minors by priests and never tried to cover it up.
It was also the first time since Benedict resigned on February 28 that anything precise that he has written or said was published, although some people who have visited him in the Vatican house where he is living out retirement have indirectly reported to outsiders some of his comments to them.
Victims groups have accused Benedict of not doing enough to stop the abuse of children by priests while he was pope and before when he was head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office.
They say there is much still to be discovered about how the Church behaved in the past and want more bishops who were aware of abuse to be held responsible.
