On Saturday, Pope Francis issued a papal decree establishing a legal procedure for removing bishops for negligence, especially regarding child sexual abuse. Bishops can already be ousted for "grave reasons," the pope noted, but the new rules specify that prelates can be sacked for causing "grave harm" to people or communities — be it physical, moral, financial, or spiritual — through their actions or inaction. When sex abuse of children or "vulnerable adults" is involved, the negligence need only be "serious," and the bishop needn't be morally guilty. Catholic bishops "must undertake a particular diligence in protecting those who are the weakest among their flock," Francis wrote in the Apostolic Letter motu propio.
Advocates for victims of sexual abuse, and many Catholics, have been seeking greater accountability for bishops, some of whom quietly shuffled accused abuser priests to other parishes. Only the pope can remove a bishop, and Francis also set up a "college of jurists" to advise him on individual cases.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
North Korea (sort of) welcomes tourists againUnder the Radar 'Hermit kingdom' allows foreign visitors for the first time since 2020 – but only in limited areas
-
Today's political cartoons - February 23, 2025Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - loser's game, unexpected consequences, and more
-
5 slow on the draw cartoons about Democrats' response to TrumpCartoons Artists take on taking a stand, staying still as a statue, and more
-
Pope Francis hospitalized with 'complex' illnessSpeed Read The Vatican says their leader has a respiratory infection, raising new concerns about his health
-
The Aga Khan, billionaire spiritual leader, dies at 88Speed Read Prince Karim Al-Hussaini's philanthropy funded hospitals, housing and schools in some of the world's poorest places
-
Biden awards Pope Francis highest US civilian honorSpeed Read President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
-
Church of England head resigns over abuse scandalSpeed Read Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby faced backlash over his handling of a notorious child abuser
-
Catholic synod ends with no resolution on womenSpeed Read At a major Vatican meeting, Pope Francis did not address ordaining women as deacons
-
The Vatican's stand on gender-affirming careSpeed Read A new published document condemns gender transition, calling it a threat to human dignity
-
The United Methodist Church has lost 20% of U.S. congregations in schism over LGBTQ rulesSpeed Read
