PAPAL DIKTAT FUELS CLAMOUR TO STRIP TAINTED PRIEST OF HIS POST

By Jyoti Shelar
Mumbai Mirror
June 6, 2016

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/others/Papal-diktat-fuels-clamour-to-strip-tainted-priest-of-his-post/articleshow/52614757.cms

The simmering anger among city's Catholic community triggered by the arrest of a priest from Govandi on the charge of sexually assaulting a teenaged boy has begun to intensify following an announcement that Pope Francis has approved measures to sack bishops for mishandling child sexual abuse cases.

While Lawrence Johnson, 51, is facing an FIR and behind bars for the past six months, community members are questioning why the churchman is still not disrobed. "Cardinal Oswald Gracias who is archbishop of Bombay has to act fast and push for this. If there is a First Information Report (FIR) filed against apriest for such misdeed, why should they wait for anything to rusticate of disrobe him," said a 76-year-old Cletus Gomes from Bandra.

Another parishioner from Mahim, A M Sodder, said that Vatican is like an appellate authority, but action has to be taken by the archbishop. "By now, he should have taken a decision."

Bishops who are "negligent" in dealing with priests committing abuse will be removed under the new legal procedures, Vatican announced on Saturday.

The Shivaji Nagar police arrested Johnson on November 27, 2015 on the charge of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy at a church and booked him under Section 377 (unnatural sex) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Soon after his arrest, the archdiocese had set up a three-member panel to probe the allegations, following which a report was submitted.

"The case has gone to the Vatican now. I do not know the timeline to respond by the Vatican," said spokesperson of the Archdiocese, Father Nigel Barrett.

The spokesperson said action cannot be taken against Johnson as long as he is in prison. "This is because he cannot be interviewed. There is always the presumption of innocence till proven guilty."

Mirror had reported that the victim was undergoing counselling. "He goes to school but refuses to go back to the church. We have started going to the church but that place reminds us of the trauma our child has undergone," said the child's mother on Sunday, adding that she hopes that the archdiocese sets the right precedent.