Six Cardinals Accused of Covering Clergy Abuse—Including Three Top Candidates for Next Papacy, by Jules Gomes

By Jules Gomes, The Stream, April 1, 2025

Dr. Jules Gomes, (BA, BD, MTh, PhD), has a doctorate in biblical studies from the University of Cambridge. Currently a Vatican-accredited journalist based in Rome, he is the author of five books and several academic articles. Gomes lectured at Catholic and Protestant seminaries and universities and was canon theologian and artistic director at Liverpool Cathedral.

Three of the top six cardinals in the race to become the next pope, including Hungary’s conservative Cardinal Péter Erdő, have been accused of covering clerical sex abuse in the Catholic Church.

Last Thursday, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and fellow advocacy group Nate’s Mission released a bombshell dossier containing evidence against cardinals Péter Erdő, Mario Grech, and Luis Antonio Tagle.

The dossier also included complaints against cardinals Robert Francis Prevost, Kevin Farrell, and Víctor Manuel Fernández—who, while high-ranking, are not considered papabili (potential popes). SNAP also included a letter rebuking Pope Francis for covering for predator priests while he was serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires. …

Continue reading >>>>>>>>>>>