The pope welcomed proposals
from the Commission for the Protection of Children on bishops'
accountability in pedophile priest cases, Vatican spokesman
Father Federico Lombardi said Wednesday.
Francis authorized the provision of "adequate resources" so
bishops can report priests who abuse children and the disabled
for abuse of office, Lombardi said after a meeting between the
pope and the so-called C-9 group of nine cardinals advising him
on key reforms.
Three different bodies of the Roman Curia would be
authorized to make such reports - the Congregation for Bishops,
the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and the
Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
Francis also welcomed a proposal to create a judicial body
within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF),
which is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia
and oversees Catholic doctrine.
The CDF is the modern name for what used to be the Holy
Office of the Inquisition.
The Roman Curia is the central body though which the
pontiff runs the Catholic Church.
The reform of the Curia is part of Francis's drive to
overhaul the Vatican after the Church's image was tarnished by
scandals regarding child-sex abuse and financial and media leaks
during the papacy of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
