“Documents reviewed by The Associated Press show that as a Vatican cardinal, the future pope took over the abuse case of the Rev. Michael Teta of Tucson, Ariz., then let it languish at the Vatican for years despite repeated pleas from the bishop for the man to be removed from the priesthood,” AP reports. “In another Tucson case, that of Msgr. Robert Trupia, the bishop wrote to then-Cardinal Ratzinger, who would become pope in 2005. Bishop Manuel Moreno called Trupia ‘a major risk factor to the children, adolescents and adults that he many have contact with.’ There is no indication in the case files that Ratzinger responded.”
Pope unlikely to resign
There has been no indication that Pope Benedict XVI will resign. But some Catholic scholars believe that the Pope’s conservative moral agenda for the church may be undercut by the continuing scandal.
“The pope's moral authority is very much in doubt,” warns The Rev. Richard P. McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
