The
Vatican said on Monday that Josef Wesolowski, a former Archbishop and Holy See
Ambassador, who was defrocked in 2014 on charges of sexually abusing young
boys, was to face a criminal trial.
Polish-born Wesolowski was
recalled from his post as envoy to the Dominican Republic in 2013, after he was
accused him of paedophilia.
In June 2014, he was found
guilty by a church disciplinary panel and deemed no longer fit to serve as a
priest.
The Vatican said he would
stand trial on allegations of sexually abusing minors during his 2008-13
diplomatic posting to Santo Domingo.
It said he would also face
charges on storing child pornography on his computer after being recalled to
Rome.
The Vatican said the first
hearing of the trial was scheduled for July 11.
It said Wesolowski would be
the first person to be tried on the basis of anti-paedophilia laws, that Pope
Francis, introduced in the Vatican Penal Code in July 2013.
It said he could face a jail
sentence of up to 12 years.
The Vatican said the
“serious allegations” against him were going to be scrutinised in a “delicate
and detailed procedure,” using IT experts, and “if necessary” evidence supplied
by judicial authorities in Santo Domingo.
Meanwhile, the Vatican said
Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of the Archbishop of Saint Paul and
Minneapolis, Monsignor John Clayton Nienstedt, and of his deputy, Monsignor Lee
Anthony Piche.
It said the move came ten
days after a U.S. attorney filed criminal charges against the Archdiocese of
Saint Paul and Minneapolis for failing to protect children from a paedophile
priest who was active in the area from 1997 to 2015.
Archbishop Nienstedt, in his
parting statement, denied any wrongdoing.
“I leave with a clear
conscience knowing that my team and I have put in place solid protocols to
ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.
The Catholic Church has been
tarnished in recent years by worldwide revelations about paedophile priests,
and by allegations that for decades its hierarchy failed to punish offenders or
even covered up their crimes.
Pope Francis and his
predecessor Benedict XVI have committed themselves to a “zero tolerance”
policy.
(dpa/NAN)
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