Pope Francis has taken the biggest step yet to crack down on bishops
who cover up for priests who rape and molest children, creating a new
tribunal inside the Vatican to hear cases of bishops accused of failing
to protect their flock.
The initiative, announced yesterday, has significant legal and theological implications, since bishops have long been considered masters of their dioceses and largely unaccountable when they bungle their job, with the Vatican stepping in only in cases of gross negligence.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/child-abuse/news/article.cfm?c_id=146&objectid=11463780
The initiative, announced yesterday, has significant legal and theological implications, since bishops have long been considered masters of their dioceses and largely unaccountable when they bungle their job, with the Vatican stepping in only in cases of gross negligence.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/child-abuse/news/article.cfm?c_id=146&objectid=11463780