Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone has been named as the person most responsible for allowing a serial child molester to remain as a priest in Wisconsin. He has been named as the party who blocked the defrocking of Reverend Lawrence Murphy.
Vatican officials appear to be confirming the role in an effort to deflect criticism from the Pope who, as a cardinal, was also reportedly involved in the matter.
The Pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, failed to take action despite being informed twice that Murphy had abused 200 children.
New information released in coverage suggests that Bertone demanded that the scandal be “treated in absolute secrecy” to avoid “enlarging the scandal.” Coverage also quotes Bertone as saying that he wanted to “avoid a scandal for his boss.”
Murphy died in 1998 aged 72, without being defrocked for his crimes, let alone turned over to the police.
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