Pope Battles Bureaucracy, Sex Abuse In New Order

By Kevin Daley
Daily Caller
June 04, 2016

http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/04/pope-battles-bureaucracy-sex-abuse-in-new-order/

Pope Francis issued a new edict Saturday effectively countermanding a previous order and reflecting his ongoing struggle with interests entrenched inside the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s sprawling bureaucracy.

The document is a motu proprio called “Like a loving mother,” which clarifies language and procedures governing the removal of bishops for negligence in clerical sexual abuse investigations. In it, Francis advises that impeding, ignoring, or bungling an investigation into so called “pedophile priests” by a bishop is sufficient reason to remove said bishop from office. A motu proprio is the functional equivalent of an executive order, issued by the pope to explicate certain aspects of canon law, guide clergy in their implementation of policy, or establish guidelines for liturgical practices.

In the document, the pontiff acknowledges that previous motu proprios, specifically Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2001, already provide for the removal of a bishop from office for “grave reasons.” The pope clarified that negligence in the investigation or prosecution of pedophile priests constitutes a “grave reason” which warrants removal from office.

Little doubt existed that such actions by prelates were considered “graves reasons” necessitating disciplinary action by the Church. The Holy See Press Office says Pope Francis sought to emphasis the “special diligence” with which bishops must act “in the protection of the weakest among those entrusted to them.”