Ummm- it was exposed during his regime and he started to prosecute- it had gone on unabashed during the saint before him and from the start of the religion. The fact that he knew he had to hand it off…is incredibleRIP to the man.
Since politics have already been interjected, I'll throw in my two cents. A lot of folks here loved the guy since he was so conservative. IMO, he won't go down as one of the greats, unfortunately. Sex abuse scandals and opposition to condoms are a big part of his legacy.