Pope Francis met the president of the US bishops’ conference Monday as his supporters closed ranks over the pontiff’s handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by a US cardinal. Francis held talks with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and other senior members of the bishops’ conference just 48 hours after ordering an investigation into Vatican archives concerning former archbishop of Washington Theodore McCarrick, who resigned in July. DiNardo on Sunday “welcomed” the “additional steps Pope Francis is taking to ensure the faithful are protected from the evil of sexual assault”.
