Yes, Pope John Paul II did not follow up but this was because he just did not believe in the accusations. They were, to him, just too outrageous and, coming from Communist Poland, he was too aware of Communist tactics of using false charges to destroy people. He was wrong.
Even as Cardinal, Pope Benedict reopened the case against Maciel. As soon as he became Pope he removed him. Even the article states that in his last two years as Pope, Benedict defrocked 384 priests. Today the Church has very strict standards. But I guess this does not mean anything to you.
I am just struck by the fact that a poster keeps trying to say that a Cardinal is the same level as a Bishop.
Instead of denouncing what Sodano did in his powerful position a poster keeps saying he is just a Bishop.
“In a rare breach of normal etiquette at senior levels of the church, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna has directly accused another cardinal of complicity in the cover-up of sexual abuse allegations against his predecessor as the most important figure in the Austrian church.”
This is pretty important in a Sex Abuse scandal. Of course, after the Pope got involved and admonished him that only the Pope can criticize, etc., the Cardinal walked it back a bit.