▁letter ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁claimed ▁that ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI ▁had ▁been ▁aware ▁of ▁sexual ▁mis con duct ▁alleg ations ▁against ▁former ▁D . C . ▁arch bishop ▁Card inal ▁The odore ▁McC arr ick ▁and ▁had ▁im posed ▁restrictions ▁on ▁his ▁activities ▁which ▁were ▁then ▁lifted ▁by ▁Francis . ▁V igan ò ▁called ▁on ▁Francis ▁to ▁res ign ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁for ▁other ▁b ish ops . ▁Francis ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁read ▁V igan ò ' s ▁letter ▁but ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁plan ▁to ▁comment ▁on ▁it ▁public ly . ▁It ▁was ▁quickly ▁said ▁that ▁late ▁in ▁Bened ict ' s ▁pap acy , ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁period ▁that ▁V igan ò ▁alleg ed ▁McC arr ick ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁restrictions ▁on ▁his ▁min istry , ▁McC arr ick ▁tra ve led ▁and ▁made ▁multiple ▁public ▁appearances . ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁once ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁avoid ing ▁the ▁media . ▁However , ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁news ▁report ▁described ▁McC arr ick ' s ▁activities ▁as ▁increasing ▁heavily ▁after ▁Francis ▁became ▁po pe . ▁As ▁to ▁V ig ano ' s ▁letter , ▁Jason ▁Hor ow itz , ▁home ▁b ureau ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁NY ▁Times , ▁writes ▁that : ▁" I ts ▁un subst anti ated ▁alleg ations ▁and ▁personal ▁attacks ▁amount ed ▁to ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁public ▁declaration ▁of ▁war ▁against ▁Francis ’ ▁pap acy " ▁designed ▁by ▁conserv atives ▁to ▁embar rass ▁him ▁at