Vatican denies Pope Francis stayed silent during dictatorship

The Vatican strongly denied on Friday accusations by some critics in Argentina that Pope Francis stayed silent during systematic human rights abuses by the former military dictatorship.             

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters the accusations: "Must be clearly and firmly denied." He added, “they reveal anti-clerical left-wing elements that are used to attack the Church".                

Critics of Jorge Bergoglio, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, allege he failed to protect priests who challenged the dictatorship earlier in his career, during the 1976-1983 "dirty war", and that he has said too little about the complicity of the Church during military rule.         

Earlier, Pope Francis urged Roman Catholic leaders never to give in to pessimism and discouragement but to keep their eyes on the true mission of the Church.                  

"Let us never give in to the pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil places before us every day. Let us not give into pessimism and discouragement," he told cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to greet him.        


REUTERS