Pope Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, presented him with a large white box containing several confidential documents relating to the “most difficult and painful situations” involving the Vatican. It contained information about cases of corruption and child sexual abuse, according to 'Hope: the Autobiography, by Pope Francis', out on Tuesday.
“I have come this far, taken these actions, removed these people, now it is your turn,” the autobiography quoted Benedict XVI, The New York Post reported.
Pope Francis said he was “continuing his (Benedict XVI) path.”
“From the very beginning of my papacy (in 2013), I felt that I was called to take responsibility for all the evil committed by certain priests, who were many in number… With shame and contrition the Church must seek forgiveness for the terrible damage these clergymen have caused with their sexual abuse of children,” Francis wrote in the book.
Although Francis only quotes Benedict in a few passages in his more than 300-page autobiography, he has defended his predecessor, calling him “a father and brother to me.”
“Our relationship was always sincere and deep, regardless of a few stories concocted by those determined to tell the opposite story,” Francis added.
Pope Benedict resigned in February 2013 due to a “lack of strength of body and mind”. He died in 2022.
Before resigning, he faced widespread criticism for his handling of the sex abuse scandals that put the Catholic Church in the spotlight. His departure was an unprecedented step in the history of the papacy, which had not been dismissed for centuries.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, was the first pope from Latin America. Since taking charge, Pope Francis has actively fought corruption. In 2021, he passed laws stating that all bishops and cardinals would be tried when suspected of criminal behavior.
He has also promoted financial transparency and banned Vatican employees from receiving gifts worth more than $45.
Although Pope Francis has written and co-authored approximately 90 different titles, his latest book – Hope: The Autobiography – was previously not expected to be released until after his death. The Vatican's new Jubilee of Hope year, which began last month, changed my mind, according to the book's ghostwriter.
Carlo Musso, an Italian editorial director, has worked with Pope Francis on the book for the past six years, according to an afterword.