Pope Francis has come to the defence of the late Pope John Paul II, who was accused in a recent documentary film of ignoring allegations of abuse by priests and protecting them by transferring them.

The Catholic leader said the former pope, born Karol Wojtyla in Poland, was “these days the object of insulting and unfounded insinuations,” as he defended the late pope on Sunday before the faithful in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

Francis did not say, however, to which accusations he was referring.

In March, a documentary film caused an uproar in Poland, as the movie accuses Mr Wojtyla of knowing about allegations of priest abuse in the 1960s and 1970s when he was archbishop of Krakow.

The film says Mr Wojtyla protected the perpetrators by transferring them.

Italian and Vatican media, however, related Pope Francis’ statement to remarks made by the brother of Emanuela Orlandi, who disappeared almost 40 years ago.

The Papal States judiciary has been investigating the case since January.

Prosecutors want to pursue suspicions and leads that Ms Orlandi, the daughter of a Curia employee and a Vatican citizen, was abducted or murdered.

After a music lesson in Rome’s old town, the teenage girl never returned home on June 22, 1983. A body was never found.

After a meeting with the Vatican’s chief prosecutor, her brother Pietro once again spoke out about the case on a TV programme on Tuesday.

He said he was convinced that Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis knew what happened at that time.

However, a statement that left room for interpretation caused a stir.

Ms Orlandi said he had heard that Mr Wojtyla had gone out every evening with two friends, both Polish priests, and certainly not to “bless the houses.”

On Friday, he clarified in another broadcast that he had never accused Pope John Paul II of paedophilia.

He alleged that his words had been used to make headlines out of it. 

(dpa/NAN)