ST. LOUIS (MO)
Catholic Philly
BY CAROL ZIMMERMANN
Catholic News Service
ST. LOUIS (CNS) — When the U.S. bishops opened their spring general assembly in St. Louis June 10, the Catholic Church was already in the day’s news with the announcement from the Vatican about a new process for holding bishops accountable for protecting children from abuse.
The bishops did not mention the new procedures during the opening session of their gathering, but when some of them were asked about it by reporters during a midday news conference, they said they supported the Vatican’s decision.
Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, was noticeably not at the U.S. bishops meeting, because his commission had been meeting with Pope Francis about the need for greater accountability of bishops in dealing with clerical abuse cases.
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the bishops welcomed the new procedure and would cooperate with it.
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