{"id":219774,"date":"2016-06-05T06:02:06","date_gmt":"2016-06-05T06:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=219774"},"modified":"2016-06-05T06:02:06","modified_gmt":"2016-06-05T06:02:06","slug":"bishops-face-sack-for-mishandling-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/06\/bishops-face-sack-for-mishandling-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"Bishops face sack for mishandling abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"
Pope Francis has approved measures to sack bishops who mishandle child sexual abuse cases, a papal decree says.<\/p>\n
Bishops who are “negligent” in dealing with priests committing abuse will be removed under the new legal procedures.<\/p>\n
The decree comes in response to long-running demands by abuse victims and their supporters to hold bishops accountable if they fail to protect their flocks from paedophiles.<\/p>\n
Existing laws relating to abuse cases would be tightened, the Pope said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that canon law already allows for a bishop to be removed for negligence but says he wants a more precise definition of the “grave reasons” that could lead to dismissal.<\/p>\n