Pope Francis ignored allegations that he covered up Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s abuse allegations, choosing instead to highlight the “emergency” of plastic in the ocean Saturday.
Francis urged Christian faithful and others to commit to action to save God’s “impressive and marvelous” gift of the “great waters and all they contain” by cleansing them of the plastic garbage that litters them. His call to save the oceans came days after Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago said addressing allegations that Francis ignored claims that McCarrick abused male seminarians and boys was beneath Francis’ agenda, as he had to confront environmental concerns. (RELATED: Cardinal Wuerl Claims Pope Is Under ‘Concentrated Attack’)
“The Pope has a bigger agenda. He’s got to get on with other things, of talking about the environment and protecting migrants and carrying on the work of the church. We’re not going to go down a rabbit hole on this,” Cupich said concerning Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano’s claims that the Francis knew of the allegations.
Francis previously told reporters that he wouldn’t “say a word about” the 11 page letter in which Vigano accused him and 32 high ranking church officials of systematically covering up McCarrick’s alleged abuses and allowing him to progress in rank. He has instead kept his word and focused on the environment.
“Sadly, all too often many efforts fail due to the lack of effective regulation and means of control, particularly with regard to the protection of marine areas beyond national confines,” Francis wrote, according to The Associated Press.
“We cannot allow our seas and oceans to be littered by endless fields of floating plastic. Here, too, our active commitment is needed to confront this emergency,” he added.
Francis also advocated for allowing migrants to cross the oceans and enter Europe, saying that he prayed that “waters may not be a sign of separation of peoples, but of encounter for the human community.”
“Let us pray that those who risk their lives at sea in search of a better future may be kept safe,” he added.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.