Pope defrocks two ex-Chilean bishops for sex abuse

Pope defrocks two ex-Chilean bishops for sex abuse

Pope Francis. (File Photo: IANS)

Vatican City, Oct 13 (IANS) Pope Francis on Saturday defrocked former Chilean bishops Jose Francisco Cox and Marco Antonio Ordenes Fernandez who have been accused of sexual abuse.

The Vatican said in a statement that Cox, 85, and Ordenes, 54, were "dismissed from the clerical state" by the Pope after having been subject to an investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Efe news reported.

The two former bishops will not be able to appeal the decision.

This comes after the defrocking of two other Chilean priests, Fernando Karadima Fariña and Cristian Prech, in the last few weeks.

"The decision was taken by Pope Francis on October 11 and may not be appealed," the Vatican said, adding that Cox and Fernandez were informed of the verdict.

Cox, who has been accused of committing sexual abuse against minors in Chile, retired in 2002 and has been living in the German town of Vallendar.

Recently, Cox was once again accused of committing sexual abuse in Germany.

After the first accusations against Cox were revealed in Chile, he was sent to live a life of "silence, prayer and penitence" in a German monetary in 2002.

In the case of Fernandez, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation as bishop of Iquique in 2012, after he was accused of sexually abusing a boy.

Fernandez then retired and has been living in Peru.

Earlier this year, a Chilean court dismissed the sexual abuse case against Fernandez, though this did not change the verdict of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"The verdict continues Pope Francis's 'determination' to act against sexual abuse in the church," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said.

--IANS

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