VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Tuesday named
a new official to oversee the Vatican office that processes clerical
sex abuse cases amid mounting criticism over a yearslong backlog of
cases and Francis' handling of the problem.
The promotion of Monsignor
John Kennedy to head of the discipline section of the Congregation of
the Doctrine of the Faith was the second abuse-related appointment in
recent days. Francis named the Rev. Hans Zollner, one of the Catholic
Church's top experts on fighting abuse and protecting children, as an
adviser to the Vatican's office for clergy on Saturday.