Berlin (CNN) Pope Benedict XVI knew about priests who abused children but failed to act when he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982, an inquest found Thursday, rejecting Benedict's long-standing denials in a damning judgment. "We believe that he can be accused of misconduct in four cases," Pusch said. "Two of these cases concern abuses committed during his tenure and sanctioned by the state. Benedict responded to the report later on Thursday, expressing his "pain and shame" for abuse in the church. Archbishop Georg Ganswein, Benedict's private secretary, told Vatican News: "Until this afternoon, Benedict XVI did not have the report from the legal firm ... which is more than 1,000 pages.

Source: CNN January 21, 2022 09:25 UTC