Pope Francis has defrocked former U.S. cardinal Theodore McCarrick after Vatican officials found him guilty of soliciting for sex while hearing confession and of sexual crimes against minors and adults, the Holy See said Saturday. Vatican summitThe Vatican summit, running Feb. 21-24, draws church leaders from around the world to talk about preventing abuse. (Max Rossi/Reuters)That perceived hypocrisy, coupled with allegations in the Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing decades of abuse and coverup in six dioceses, outraged many among the rank-and-file faithful who had trusted church leaders to reform how they handled sex abuse after 2002. An advocate for church accountability over sex abuse is demanding Francis say what he knew about McCarrick. Maciel's sex crimes against children were ignored for decades by a Vatican impressed by his ability to bring in donations and vocations.

Source: CBC News February 16, 2019 13:41 UTC