30 June 2017 10:50 am
The Washington Post · Jun 29, 2017 - ROME - One of the most senior Vatican officials to be charged with sex offenses denied on Thursday the allegations levied against him by Australian police, saying he would take a leave of absence to defend himself.
The controversy is a challenge to Pope Francis’ attempts to address the church’s long-running abuse scandal, particularly since many of the details of the Australian issues were well-known at the time the pontiff appointed him to his current role.