Defenders rally around pope, fear conservatives escalating war

Francis' supporters say the accusations in Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano's 11-page public statement aim to pave the way for a conservative pope to succeed him who would reverse his openings to divorced and homosexual Catholics.In the statement published at the weekend, Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to Washington, called on Francis to resign on the grounds the pope knew for years about the sexual misconduct of an American cardinal and did nothing.