Unic Press UK: The Bishop of Rome and Supreme Leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has ordered the laicization of a Chilean priest 88-year-old Rev. Fr. Fernando Karadima, who is alleged to be the central figure in a sex abuse scandal having been convicted in 2011 of the sexual abuse of minors.
Pope Francis inked the decree of dismissal Thursday, the 27 September 2018, and it came into force immediately. Prior to being defrocked Thursday, Fernando Karadima was in the past sentenced to a life of penance and prayer.
The papal spokesman, Greg Burke, said: “Pope Francis is acting as a pastor, as a father, for the good of the entire People of God. This is an exceptional measure, no doubt, but Karadima’s serious crimes have done exceptional damage in Chile,” the Catholic News Agency reports.
