The authors of a book published on Thursday said the Vatican knew about the sexual abuse allegations against French icon Abbé Pierre, who founded the Emmaus charity, as early as the 1950s, reports FRANCE 24.
In recent months more than 30 people have accused Pierre of sexual abuse, some when they were children.
The Catholic cleric – who founded the Emmaus charity which is now present in over 40 countries – was widely praised for his work for the poverty-stricken and homeless when he died in 2007 aged 94.
But in recent months more than 30 people have alleged he committed sexual abuse against them, some when they were children, between 1950 and 2000, shattering his saintly image.
Prosecutors in February said no criminal investigation could be opened because the statute of limitations had expired in all of the cases.
In their book "Abbe Pierre, the Making of a Saint", journalists Laetitia Cherel and Marie-France Etchegoin allege the Vatican knew about some of these accusations for decades.
"As early as autumn 1955, not only did top French clergy know about the dark side and danger in Abbé Pierre, but so did the Holy See," they wrote.
They report that the Vatican requested the bishop of Versailles to conduct an investigation but none was launched.
The journalists said they gained access to declassified Vatican archives that showed that a priest had written to the Holy See in October 1955 to say Abbé Pierre had done "immoral things" while visiting the United States.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.