EXCLUSIVE: Shocking Secrets Pope Francis Hid From The World — From Murder, to Sex Crimes and 'Obscene Behavior'
Pope Francis was embroiled in numerous scandals during his lifetime but managed to keep the majority of them underwraps.
April 21 2025, Updated 12:08 p.m. ET
Pope Francis took to his grave secrets of sex abuse and even murder.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the late Pontiff, who has passed away at the age of 88, was engulfed in a series of scandals during his lifetime, which he managed to keep a secret.
Pope Francis also continued to cover up the Vatican's dark history of sexual abuse after succeeding Pope Benedict XVI.
And his ability to keep schtum ensured the Holy Father was never toppled from his position, which bemused his biggest critics.
Argentina-born Pope Francis knew of allegations that a bishop from his native country had snapped naked selfies, exhibited "obscene behavior," and was accused of misconduct with two young seminarians two years before he accepted his resignation.
Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta — one of the pontiff's closest friends — left his post in August 2017 after priests in the remote Northern Argentina diocese of Oran complained about his "authoritarian rule."
Pope Francis promoted an Argentinian bishop despite being aware of inappropriate behavior.
But one priest in his diocese, the Rev. Juan Jose Manzano, claimed he gave the Vatican proof of Zanchett’s sexual abuses as early as 2015.
He told RadarOnline.com: "In 2015, we just sent a 'digital support' with selfie photos of the bishop in obscene behavior that seemed inappropriate and dangerous."
But Pope Francis allowed Zanchetta to quietly resign but then promoted him to a lofty Vatican position — prompting high-ranking church officials to issue a call for His Holiness to resign.
Two years previous, Pope Francis once again found himself at the center of a far more sinister cover-up.
Documents seen by RadarOnline.com accuse His Holiness – born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio – of betraying two priests to the right-wing regime that murdered as many as 30,000 dissidents during his country's "Dirty War."
The papers include a 27-page report from 1977 in which Father Orlando Yorio claimed he and Father Franz Jalics were captured and tortured after pleading for help from Father Bergoglio, who was then head of the Jesuit order in Argentina.
According to Orlando's report, the priests begged the Pope-to-be to protect them after their work with the poor raised suspicions that they supported left-wing guerrillas.
Pope Francis was also accused of betraying two priests to the right-wing regime that murdered as many as 30,000 dissidents.
He claimed that Father Bergoglio not only didn't quash the rumors, he spread them.
Orlando wrote: "We began to suspect his honesty."
Soldiers seized the pair in 1976, and Orlando said guards accused him of being a guerrilla and "having sexual relations with a female catechist."
He wrote: "For five months, Father Jalics and I were chained by the feet and hands and had our eyes covered.
"The first four or five days I went without eating, without drinking water, without going to the bathroom."
After Orlando passed away in 2000, his family gave his report to a human rights activist.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Pope Francis also continued to cover up the Vatican's dark history of sexual abuse.
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Pope Francis also continued to cover up the Vatican's dark history of sexual abuse after succeeding Pope Benedict XVI.
The tenure of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, was marked by scores of pedophilia accusations against the Catholic Church.
A source said: "Francis has learned a lot more of the sordid sexual abuse secrets since becoming Pope."
In addition, insiders said Pope Francis is encouraging more exorcisms than ever, with some "even taking place in the basement of his holy headquarters."
The insider added: "Francis is a huge fan of exorcisms. He loved the 2011 movie The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins as a Jesuit exorcist."
