Francis encouraged Mgr Óscar Zanchetta, the former Bishop of Orán, Argentina, now a convicted homosexual predator, to cover his financial tracks.
Zanchetta was one of the first bishops Francis appointed in Argentina. The allegations against him are contained in a document signed by senior clergy and officials of Zanchetta's former diocese, published by Damian Thompson (UnHerd.com, 27 April).
The document states that Zanchetta had a duty to disclose the origin of funds used to build the diocesan seminary and work on the cathedral. The money allegedly came from sold properties, but Mgr Zanchetta didn't provide any supporting documents of the transactions.
Instead, he claimed that "His Holiness" personally suggested to him not to make it appear anywhere so that the diocese would not be considered less needy.
Thomson received a 500-page dossier on Zanchetta. It included "stomach-churning details of allegations of sexual exploitation of seminarians" that were never reported.
After Zanchetta's …More