Pope approves moves to sack sex abuse priests

Pope John Paul II has approved changes in Vatican policy that will speed up the dismissal of some clergy accused of sex abuse and give lay people a greater role at the church trials of alleged molesters, a Vatican official has said.

The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees clerical abuse cases worldwide, now has the authority to oust blatant offenders from the priesthood without a church trial, Monsignor Charles Scicluna, a prosecutor with the congregation, said. Previously, only the Pope had that power.

For accused priests who maintain their innocence and have a church trial, lay people will now be allowed to serve on the tribunals hearing cases in US dioceses, Scicluna said.

The changes, approved by the Pope on February 7, are meant to help American bishops deal swiftly with the worst offenders and give smaller dioceses more resources to combat abuse. US church leaders are still trying to recover from a year of abuse scandals.

The bishops’ new policy for dealing with sex abuse of minors was held up last autumn because of Vatican demands that priests charged with molestation get a church trial.

Ultimately, the Holy See and US prelates agreed that accused priests would have their cases heard before a tribunal of three clergymen with expertise in canon law.

The pontiff has now decreed that lay people, not just priests, can be appointed to the tribunals. And the tribunal members will not be required to have doctorates in church law, although they still must have expertise in the church’s legal code.

Scicluna said the Pope wanted “to address issues of dioceses who do not have enough qualified priests in canon law”.

If the cleric confesses, or if evidence of criminal wrongdoing is overwhelming, the congregation in Rome now has the power to simply oust him, Scicluna says.

The accused will still have a chance to challenge his dismissal and his bishop also will have input in the decision, Scicluna said.

“The accused will always be heard,” he added.

Scicluna has been in Washington this month overseeing two weeks of training for 210 American priests who will act as judges, defence advocates and prosecutors for the church trials.