▁the ▁sensitive ▁time ▁as ▁he ▁began ▁his ▁visit ation ▁to ▁Ireland , ▁After ▁being ▁asked ▁to ▁come ▁forward ▁by ▁V igan ò , ▁Card inal ▁Marc ▁O uel let ▁said ▁that ▁Bened ict ▁had ▁im posed ▁inform al ▁san ctions ▁on ▁McC arr ick ▁but ▁denied ▁that ▁Francis ▁had ▁lifted ▁them . ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁has ▁come ▁under ▁scr ut iny ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Father ▁Jul io ▁Gr ass i , ▁a ▁priest ▁conv icted ▁of ▁child ▁sexual ▁ab use . ▁As ▁Card inal , ▁Berg og lio ▁commission ed ▁a ▁study ▁that ▁concluded ▁Gr ass i ▁was ▁innoc ent , ▁that ▁his ▁vict ims ▁were ▁lying ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁case ▁against ▁him ▁never ▁should ▁have ▁gone ▁to ▁trial . ▁Despite ▁the ▁study , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Argentina ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁conv iction . ▁Gr ass i ▁has ▁been ▁restricted ▁from ▁exer cis ing ▁any ▁public ▁min istry ▁but ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁la ic ized . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁new ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁alleg ations , ▁Francis ' ▁popular ity ▁dropped ▁significantly ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁only ▁ 4 8 % ▁of ▁Americans ▁had ▁a ▁favor able ▁view ▁of ▁Francis . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁report ▁published ▁in ▁Der ▁Sp iegel ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁" P ope ▁Francis ▁promised ▁when ▁he ▁took ▁office ▁a ▁renew ed , ▁cosm opol itan ▁Catholic ism . ▁Five - and - a - half ▁years ▁and ▁many ▁ab use ▁cases ▁later