There are more problems for Pope Benedict. Documents published indicate he could be involved in yet another child abuse scandal.
It’s all about a now deceased priest Lawrence Murphy. There are accusations he abused up to 200 children at a school for the deaf in Wisconsin up until the 1970’s.
After some twenty years in 1996 an Archbishop in Wisconsin informed then-Cardinal Ratzinger in Rome who handled these matters. There was no response.
Religious proceedings were then pressed against Murphy but then dropped following a letter from priest to Ratzinger.
There was no apology this week from the Pope Just a strong defense in the form of a Vatican statement.
Rome claims Wisconsin authorities didn’t act against priest. Church law doesn’t specify any exact penalties
The Wisconsin Archdiocese didn’t tell Vatican until long after the incidents.
And by the time attention was paid Murphy was old and sick.
Of course all this comes time when the Pope is dealing with range of abuse scandals including in Ireland and Germany. Probably the last thing the Vatican needed was another publicity flare-up.