Dominican prosecutor pleased with Vatican's handling of case against former nuncio

December 02, 2014

The chief prosecutor of the Dominican Republic has expressed satisfaction with the Vatican’s conduct of a criminal case against Josef Wesolowski, the laicized archbishop and former papal nuncio to the Caribbean country.

The Vatican announced in September that Wesolowski had been placed under house arrest and would face a criminal trial before a Vatican tribunal on sex-abuse charges. Earlier, in June, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had stripped him of his clerical status after a canonical trial.

Francisco Dominquez Brito, the top prosecutor of the Domincan Republic, met on December 2 with his counterpart at the Vatican, Gian Piero Milano, to discuss the pending trial. After the meeting he voiced his “appreciation and satisfaction” with the Vatican’s treatment of the case.

Although some critics of the Church have argued that the former nuncio should face trial in the Dominican Republic, where he was accused of abusing young boys, the country’s prosecutor observed that under the terms of international law the trial would rightly be held at the Vatican.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Dominican Prosecutor OKs Vatican Sex Abuse Case (AP)
• Former nuncio's arrest shows Pope's determination to fight abuse, says papal spokesman (CWN, 9/24)