Vatican denies Pope Francis stayed silent during "Dirty War"
Reuters
2013-03-15
Views 65
It's called the Dirty War in Argentina. From 1976 through 1983 as many as 30,000 people were kidnapped and killed by a military government.
The Argentinean Church's reputation was tarnished during that period because of links between some high-ranking Roman Catholic clergymen and the military junta.
Now some critics of Pope Francis say he failed to protect priests who challenged the dictatorship.
Taty Almeida marched for years to demand information on missing children
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TATY ALMEIDA, MOTHER OF PLAZA DE MAYO FROM FOUNDING LINE, SAYING:
"This is unresolved because we really know this was a civic, military and clerical coup. It makes you think the complete complicity of the church's hierarchy continues even today because from the pope down they've never mentioned it. Not this pope or the last pope or the one before that. They've never apologized."
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denies the allegations.
(SOUNDBITE) (
The Argentinean Church's reputation was tarnished during that period because of links between some high-ranking Roman Catholic clergymen and the military junta.
Now some critics of Pope Francis say he failed to protect priests who challenged the dictatorship.
Taty Almeida marched for years to demand information on missing children
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TATY ALMEIDA, MOTHER OF PLAZA DE MAYO FROM FOUNDING LINE, SAYING:
"This is unresolved because we really know this was a civic, military and clerical coup. It makes you think the complete complicity of the church's hierarchy continues even today because from the pope down they've never mentioned it. Not this pope or the last pope or the one before that. They've never apologized."
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denies the allegations.
(SOUNDBITE) (
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