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Accuser denounces pope's silence over abuse cover-up claims

The former Vatican ambassador who accused popes and advisers of covering up for a disgraced ex-cardinal denounced Pope Francis' refusal to directly respond to his claims

Accuser denounces pope's silence over abuse cover-up claims Image Source : APAccuser denounces pope's silence over abuse cover-up claims

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The former Vatican ambassador who accused three popes and their advisers of covering up for a disgraced American ex-cardinal has denounced Pope Francis' refusal to directly respond to his claims and challenged the Vatican to say what it knows about the scandal.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano penned a new missive a month after his initial 11-page bombshell sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church. It was uploaded to a document-sharing site late Thursday.

In the document, Vigano denounced the official Vatican silence about his claims and accused Francis of mounting a campaign of "subtle slander" against him. He urged the head of the Vatican bishops office to speak out, saying he has all the documentation needed to prove years of cover-up of allegations of sexual misconduct of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.