Pope Francis on Saturday defrocked the Reverend Cristian Precht Bañados of Chile after a five-year investigation into allegations that he sexually abused children.
The expulsion is thought to be the first of its kind in modern Catholic history and is sure to raise questions of whether similar consequences will come for priests credibly accused of sexual misconduct in the United States and around the world. In Chile alone, 158 clergy and lay Catholics are under state investigation for sexual abuse, and a former priest was arrested there last month on charges of abusing seven children.
Precht, who was a popular human rights advocate before this scandal came to light, has denied the accusations of abuse. "I absolutely deny participating, in any way, in the acts which I'm slanderously being accused of," he said, per a local news report. "I will defend my personal and clerical honor in every way I can and any time it's violated."
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