Two prominent contenders to succeed Pope Francis — Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle — are facing mounting criticism over their alleged mishandling of child s*xual abuse cases within the Catholic Church.
The U.S.-based watchdog group BishopAccountability.org has accused both cardinals of obstructing justice and failing to promote transparency, raising concerns about their suitability to lead the Church amid its ongoing abuse crisis.
Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the organization, addressed the media just outside the Vatican on Friday, stating, “If Cardinal Parolin becomes pope, we will have a consummate secret-keeper running the Catholic Church. Any hope of transparency around s*x abuse will be dashed completely.”
Doyle alleged that Cardinal Parolin, as Vatican Secretary of State since 2013, has systematically withheld vital documents from civil authorities investigating abuse claims across multiple countries. She pointed to specific cases in Australia, the UK, and Poland, claiming Parolin’s office blocked requests for key information.
One major example cited was Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child S*xual Abuse, which documented 4,400 child victims and 1,100 accused clerics. Despite repeated requests, Doyle said the Vatican provided records for only two priests.
Similarly, when the UK’s Independent Inquiry into Child S*xual Abuse sought information in 2018 and 2019 regarding allegations within the English Benedictine Congregation, Doyle said Parolin’s office denied cooperation, claiming the Holy See held no jurisdiction over institutions outside Vatican City.
Doyle also criticized Cardinal Tagle, former Archbishop of Manila, for a lack of progress in combating abuse in the Philippines. She argued that under his leadership, neither the Archdiocese of Manila nor the national bishops’ conference had published formal guidelines for handling s*xual abuse cases.
“If Cardinal Tagle cannot even get his brother bishops from his home country to publish guidelines, what on earth can we expect him to achieve as pope of a global church?” Doyle asked.
In response, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines issued a rare statement Saturday evening defending Tagle. The statement clarified that oversight of clergy misconduct rests with local bishops or religious superiors, and that Cardinal Tagle, now serving in the Roman Curia, no longer has jurisdiction over dioceses in the Philippines.
The controversy comes just days before cardinals from around the world are set to gather in Rome to begin the papal conclave and elect a new pope. Addressing the Church’s global s*xual abuse scandal is expected to be a defining challenge for the next pontiff.
