Former pope Benedict XVI failed to act over four child abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich, a German probe into the Catholic Church has found.
Pope Benedict, then called Josef Ratzinger, held the position from 1977 to 1982. He has denied the accusations.
But a new report into historical abuse allegations carried out by a German law firm incriminated the former pope.
Abuse continued under his tenure, it is alleged, and the accused remained active in church roles.
The former pope, now aged 94, became the first Church leader to resign in more than 600 years in 2013. Since then, he has led a largely quiet life in the Vatican City.
The new report, commissioned by the Catholic Church, alleges he was told about the facts of child abuse cases while acting as archbishop, but took no action.
"Two of these cases concern abuses committed during his tenure and sanctioned by the state," lawyer Martin Pusch said as he announced the report.
"In both cases, the perpetrators remained active in pastoral care."
Latest Stories
-
Queenmother calls on President-elect Mahama to appoint more women in his government
2 hours -
Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona to go top of La Liga
2 hours -
Usyk breaks Fury’s heart with points win in rematch
2 hours -
Ghana-Russia Centre to run Russian language courses in Ghana
8 hours -
The Hidden Costs of Hunger: How food insecurity undermines mental and physical health in the U.S.
8 hours -
18plus4NDC marks 3rd anniversary with victory celebration in Accra
11 hours -
CREMA workshop highlights collaborative efforts to sustain Akata Lagoon
11 hours -
2024/25 Ghana League: Heart of Lions remain top with win over Basake Holy Stars
12 hours -
Black Queens: Nora Hauptle shares cryptic WAFCON preparation message amid future uncertainty
13 hours -
Re-declaration of parliamentary results affront to our democracy – Joyce Bawah
13 hours -
GPL 2024/25: Vision FC score late to deny Young Apostles third home win
13 hours -
Enhancing community initiatives for coastal resilience: Insights from Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site Workshop
13 hours -
Family Health University College earns a Presidential Charter
13 hours -
GPL 2024/25: Bibiani GoldStars beat Nsoatreman to keep title race alive
13 hours -
GPL 2024/25 Bechem United keep title hopes alive with narrow win over FC Samartex
13 hours