In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis removed two Chilean bishops accused of sexual abuse from the priesthood.
In a statement released on Friday, the Vatican said 84-year-old Francisco José Cox, the former Archbishop of La Serena, and 53-year-old Marco Antonio Órdenes, the former Bishop of Iquique, were dismissed from the clerical state by the Pope and there would be no appeal.
The Vatican cited norms issued by now-retired Pope Benedict XVI regarding serious crimes committed by members of the clergy; the norms state that the most serious cases are decided by the Pope "when it is manifestly evident that the delict was committed and after having given the guilty party the possibility of defending himself."
