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Vatican dismisses criticism of John Paul II over abuses
This picture taken on April 21, 2014 shows postcards depicting Pope John XXIII (L) and Pope John Paul II sold in a shop in central Rome. Pope Francis aims to unite conservative and reformist strands of Catholicism with the first canonisation of two popes this month -- an impressive coup de theatre that has already stirred dissent in some quarters. Conferring sainthood on John XXIII and John Paul II means bringing together two distinct schools of thought on what a pope should be -- a humble parish priest figure or a globetrotting, charismatic superstar. AFP/PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Allegations about Maciel began surfacing in the 1980s but were consistently ignored by the Vatican hierarchy, which instead approved bylaws for the group that effectively banned internal criticism of Maciel and allowed a personality cult to flourish around him.
- The story of the Legion, whose members are referred to as Legionaries, was seen as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sainthood cause for the Polish pope.
VATICAN CITY,
The Vatican on Tuesday brushed off accusations that late pope John Paul II was aware of and ignored allegations about sexual abuse carried by the Mexican founder of a powerful Catholic movement.
