Retired pope apologizes, denies wrongdoing

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI issued a two-page personal confession on Tuesday in response to allegations he helped cover up clergy sexual abuse. A Jan. 20 report from a law firm in Munich implicated the 94-year-old, formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in four cases in which clergymen continued to serve in parishes despite criminal records related to child sexual assault. Benedict asked forgiveness for any “grievous faults” for neglecting to confront sexual abuse within his archdiocese. He also denied any knowledge about the priests in question.

What is he accused of? The initial law firm investigation reported that records showed Ratzinger attended a 1980 meeting to discuss the transfer of a convicted pedophile priest to Munich, but Benedict denied attending. In his letter, he clarified he did attend and attributed the mistake to editing errors. His lawyers clarified he was at the meeting but said the priest was not discussed. They said Benedict, who retired from the papacy in 2013, was not involved in any cover-ups of abusive behavior.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift for more details on what the Munich diocese report found.