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.
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.
-
What could happen to the US food supply under Trump's isolationist agenda?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The president's plan to deport undocumented workers and levy massive taxes on international imports might have repercussions on your dinner plate
-
7 Valentine's Day gifts for your special someonesThe Week Recommends These tokens of affection cover all the bases
-
Arsonists may have spurred the California wildfiresIn the Spotlight Are individuals responsible for starting or worsening the blazes in Los Angeles?
-
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
-
Pope Francis investigates Texas bishop, accepts early resignation of embattled Tennessee prelateSpeed Read
-
Southern Baptists expel Saddleback, 2nd church over female pastors, approve further clampdownSpeed Read
