Just hours after Pope Francis condemned the “repugnant crimes” of sexual abuse by clergy during his two-day trip to Ireland, news broke in the United States that a former papal ambassador to the country is accusing Francis of having known about abuse allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and failing to act. More than that, Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò asserts that Francis actually repealed sanctions imposed on McCarrick by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in the late 2000s, despite the fact that Viganò personally briefed Francis in June 2013 about McCarrick and the charges of misconduct and abuse. Source cruxnow
Poland’s justice minister said on Wednesday it was not possible to comply with a ruling by the top European Union court that the country’s new system for disciplining judges broke EU law and should be suspended. Source Reuters
Taliban spokesperson and Commander Moulana Yousaf Ahmadi in Kandahar spoke to India Today exclusively and said the group has taken over 85 per cent of Afghanistan and will gain control of the remaining parts soon. Source India Today
Syria’s air defences have intercepted an Israeli attack on al-Safirah area of southern Aleppo, Syrian state media reported, a location where Israel has repeatedly hit a growing Iranian presence. Source Al Jazeera
