VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Register
A media report earlier this month suggested such a move was under consideration, but papal spokesman Greg Burke has downplayed such speculation.
Edward Pentin
VATICAN CITY — Recent press reports have indicated that Pope Francis might be considering the transfer of clerical sex abuse cases from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) to two other dicasteries. But it remains uncertain that such a move actually is being contemplated.
A Jan. 3 article in The Week asserted that the Pope recently had the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, ask the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts about the possibility of restoring the authority regarding sex abuse cases to the Congregation for the Clergy and the Roman Rota, where they were handled previous to being moved in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.
The article also claimed the Holy Father and some other senior Church leaders have directly intervened in several specific abuse cases that were being handled by the CDF.
The two dicasteries reportedly under consideration for handling clergy abuse cases are headed by Cardinal Beniamino Stella, and Msgr. Pio Vito Pinto, dean of the Roman Rota (the Church’s highest court of appeal).
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