Pope Francis Glorifies Silence,Prayer in Homily; Won't Respond to Hiding Abuse by US Cardinal

As a clamor builds for Pope Francis to respond to allegations by his former ambassador to Washington that he covered up sexual abuse, the pontiff has praised the virtues of silence, the NY Times website reports today (September 4, 2018).

Speaking at a homily at the Vatican yesterday, Francis said, "With people who don't have good will, who seek only scandal, who want only division, who seek only destruction -- including within the family: silence, prayer."

So far, Francis has stuck with silence since the allegations first shook the Catholic Church on August 26.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano -- the former Vatican ambassador -- accused the pope of knowing about sexual misconduct by an American cardinal, Theodore McCarrick, with adult seminarians years before the abuse became public.