"Pope Francis did not denounce me to Argentinian junta, says priest"

[hedgehog]

Accusations that Pope Francis denounced two priests to Argentina's military junta during the 1970s have been denied by one of the survivors in a boost to the reputation of the new pontiff.

Francisco Jalics, who now lives in a German monastery, issued an online statement on Wednesday to clear up what he said were misinterpretations of his earlier comments about the role played by the pope in his five-month incarceration by the navy.

He said he was addressing reports that he and another Jesuit priest, Orlando Yorio, were imprisoned because the leader of their order, Jorge Bergoglio – as the pope was known until last week – passed on information about them to the authorities.

"I myself was once inclined to believe that we were the victims of a denunciation," Jalics said. "[But] at the end of the 90s, after numerous conversations, it became clear to me that this suspicion was unfounded. It is therefore wrong to assert that our capture took place at the initiative of Father Bergoglio."





http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/21/pope-francis-argentinian-junta-priest

[tblue37]

1. Who knows. The pope is his boss, so he certainly has reason to

to say this now, but without certain evidence either way, I don't know how we can come to a conclusion.

Without evidence, no one should be publicly accused of such a crime. But even uncertain evidence, if there is enough and it is reasonably plausible, can justify suspicion and concern--and a cautious "wait and see" attitude.