Pope John Paul II
Title: Official in John Paul II’s sainthood cause says no cover-up on sex abuse
Author: Elise Ann Allen
Publisher: Crux
Date: 16MAY2020
ROME – Facing suggestions that Saint John Paul II’s reputation has been stained by the Church’s child sexual abuse scandals, including perceptions that John Paul turned a blind eye to accusations against certain leading churchmen, the official responsible of the Polish Pope’s sainthood cause insisted Friday his record was thoroughly investigated and no evidence of wrongdoing was found.
“No, John Paul II didn’t cover [up] for any pedophile,” Monsignor Slawomir Oder told journalists May 15.
The judicial vicar of the ordinary tribunal of the Diocese of Rome and postulator of the cause of canonization of Saint John Paul II, Oder spoke during a May 15 virtual press roundtable marking the centenary of John Paul II’s birth May 18.
John Paul II, who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014 and was a vocal advocate for young people, has come under fire over the past year for his record not only as an ardent supporter of the late Mexican Father Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legionaries of Christ who was sentenced to a life of “prayer and penance” by the Vatican in 2006 over abuse charges, but also for John Paul’s role in promoting ex-cardinal and ex-priest Theodore McCarrick.
If was John Paul II who gave McCarrick all three of his episcopal assignments in the United States – Metuchen, New Jersey, in 1981; Newark in 1986; and Washington, D.C. in 2000 – as well as making him a cardinal in 2001.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, who served as personal secretary for John Paul for 12 years in Krakow before accompanying him to the Vatican for the 27 years of his pontificate, has also has featured in questions into how McCarrick continued to rise to power as rumors of alleged sexual misconduct swirled in hushed voices throughout the Church.
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