VATICAN CITY
Reuters
BY PHILIP PULLELLA
VATICAN CITY Sat Feb 7, 2015
(Reuters) – A commission advising Pope Francis on how to root out sexual abuse of children by clergy in the Catholic Church is studying sanctions for bishops suspected of cover-ups or of failing to prevent abuse, members said on Saturday.
“There have to be consequences,” Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, the head of the commission, told a news conference.
Victims groups have been urging the Vatican for years to make bishops more accountable for abuse in their dioceses even if they were not directly responsible for it.
O’Malley said the commission, holding its first full meeting since it was established last year, was drafting recommendations for the pope on how to make bishops more accountable, including possible sanctions.
“We think we have come up with some practical recommendations,” he said, without giving details but adding that they would “hopefully be implemented”. Under current Church law only the pope can dismiss a bishop.
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