On Sunday, June 5, 2016, finally Pope Francis backed down and approved tough measures to sack the clergy who mishandle, or involve in, child sexual abuse. As the Pontiff empathised, bishops who are negligent in dealing with priests committing abuse will be removed under the new legal procedures. Ordinarily, the canon law allows for a bishop to be removed for negligence to sanction priests who involve in sexual abuse, but this time round the new measures precisely prescribe child abuse as 'grave reasons' that could lead to dismissal. The Papal stance intends to hold the clergy accountable if they fail to protect their flocks from paedophiles. Morally and spiritually speaking, religious leaders have the responsibility to protect their followers from sexual abuses.
The measures came in response to long-running demands by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in its "Second Periodic Report of the Holy See (CRC/C/VAT/2)", adopted in January 2014. The Committee unearthed a number of clerical child abuses that were committed, especially in USA, Europe, Africa and Australia. During the presentation of the report, however, the committee noted the positive willingness expressed by the delegation of the Holy See to change attitudes and practices.It's against that background that such concrete measures have been taken. They're intended to hold the clergy accountable if they fail to protect their flocks from the growing scourge of pedophilia.
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