ROME — A year after approving the creation of a new tribunal to discipline bishops who covered up child sex abuse by priests, Pope Francis scrapped that plan on Saturday and issued new guidelines to oust those who have been “negligent” in handling such cases.
Under
the new guidelines, issued in an apostolic letter, Roman Catholic
bishops who have failed to properly handle sex abuse cases will be
investigated by four Vatican
offices. If the bishops are found to have betrayed their mission, they
will be removed “to protect those who are the weakest among the persons
entrusted to them.”
