ROME (RNS) — An advocacy group of survivors of clerical abuse is raising concerns about several cardinals who are buzzed about as papabili, or potential popes.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests held a press conference Wednesday (April 30) in a hotel next to Pope Francis’ resting place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to announce new information about prominent cardinals the group accuses of covering up or mishandling sexual abuse cases. In addition to compiling accusations and information for the public, SNAP has filed complaints with the Vatican under Pope Francis’ Vos Estis Lux Mundi (“You are the light of the world”) laws, intended to confront abuse.
Among those named in the group’s complaints are Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Péter Erdő, Robert Prevost and Joseph Tobin. SNAP claimed there is evidence of their ignoring or covering up reports of abuse and seeks full investigations.
“ We’re not saying that these individuals are guilty,” Peter Isely, a founding member of SNAP and a clerical abuse survivor, said of SNAP’s list. “We are saying there is evidence, compelling evidence, that there should be a full investigation launched about the conduct of this particular cardinal.”
On its website, SNAP also accuses Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, another potential papabile who also has the role of announcing the next pope, of participating in the cover-up of abuse by both infamous ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and another prelate Mamberti supervised, although the group has not yet filed a Vos E …