INDIA
Daiji World
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jan 12: In perhaps the first incident of its kind in the history of the Archdiocese of Bangalore and probably even in Karnataka, the Vatican has suspended a priest, who was accused and tried in the court of “forcibly raping” an young college going girl in Tumakuru.
The priest, however, was acquitted by the court of the charge as all the witnesses including the girl, her parents, grandmother and others had turned hostile.
According to information independently confirmed by Daijiworld after contacting several authoritative sources in the Archdiocese, Congregation forthe Doctrine of the Faith, which is the highest body in the Roman Curia, has officially communicated to the Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras last week regarding its decision of suspending the exercise of “the priestly ministry in public” of Fr Simon Bartholomeo with immediate effect.
The Archbishop, when contacted by Daijiworld, declined to either confirm or deny the decision on suspension of the priest and merely said: “I am not at liberty to disclose any information on the issue. You have to speak to the person concerned (Fr Bartholomeo).”
However, it is reliably learnt that the Archbishop has divulged the contents of the communication from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the members of the Archdiocesan College of Consultors.
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