Pope Francis has not accepted the
resignation of Lyon Archbishop Philippe Barbarin, found guilty
earlier this month of failing to report sexual abuse of minors
in the 1970s and '80s at the scout camps of Father Bernard
Preyna, and sentenced to six months in jail, Vatican Spokesman
Alessandro Gisotti said Tuesday.
But "the Holy Father has left Cardinal Barbarin free to take
the best decision for the Diocese and Cardinal Barbarin has
decided to retire for a period of time," Gisotti said.
Vicar General Yves Baumgarten will take over the diocese,
Gisotti said.
Barbarin, 68, was sentenced to six months in jail by a Lyon
court on March 7.
It was a conditional sentence.
Barbarin tenders his resignation as archbishop after the
sentence.
The Catholic Church has been roiled by abuse scandals and
last month a Vatican summit of world bishops vowed zero
tolerance on the issue.
Also last month, former Vatican No.3 George Pell became the
top Catholic Church figure to be convicted of sex abuse of
minors, in his native Australia.
He was found guilty of raping two choirboys in 1996 and will
was sentenced to six years in jail.
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