UNITED STATES
Jezebel
Lauren Evans
Pope Francis has nixed his plan for a tribunal that would prosecute bishops who failed to treat pedophilic priests as criminals, opting instead only to strengthen existing statutes.
Survivors of abuse have long called for stricter accountability processes when it comes to holding bishops responsible for the despicable actions of priests. So when the pope approved the creation of the tribunal last year, it looked, to many, like progress.
Now, the Washington Post reports that the tribunal plan has vanished silently into the night, supplanted by a law that would merely“clarify legal procedures.”
The news comes as a grave disappointment to the abused, who were eager to see repercussions wrought upon the many criminals enjoying the boundless protection of one of history’s most powerful bodies, the Catholic church.
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