ROME
Crux

October 13, 2018

By Inés San Martín

In an extremely unusual, if not unprecedented, move, Pope Francis on Saturday imposed what’s tantamount to the Church’s version of capital punishment on two retired Chilean bishops accused of sexual abuse of minors, expelling them from the priesthood.

In the case of Archbishop Francisco Cox, it’s a day some of his earliest victims have been awaiting for more than 40 years. The pope also removed from the clerical state the bishop emeritus of Iquique, Marco Antonio Ordenes Fernandez, who retired from his position in 2012 at the age of 47.

According to a Vatican statement released on Saturday, “the decision was adopted by the pope last Thursday, Oct. 11, and does not allow for recourse,” meaning there’s no possibility of appeal.

The Vatican statement also indicated that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has notified both men of…