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.