Belgian archbishop's resignation accepted after adverse court decision in abuse case
June 01, 2015
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard of Brussels, the Belgian archdiocese announced on June 1.
Archbishop Léonard submitted his letter of resignation on May 6, as required by canon law, upon reaching the age of 75. Just two weeks earlier, a Belgian court had ordered the archbishop to pay €10,000 in damages to a sex-abuse victim, ruling that the prelate was responsible for a failure to take action on prior abuse complaints.
The resignation of Archbishop Léonard was widely perceived as a test of the Pope’s determination to hold bishops accountable for their handling of sex-abuse cases. Although the archbishop had denied wrongdoing in the court case, and his attorney had said that he might appeal the ruling, his critics applauded the Pope’s quick action in accepting his resignation.
The Catholic hierarchy in Belgium has been torn for several years by charges of covering up sexual abuse. A previous Archbishop of Brussels, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, was also accused of protecting guilty clerics—including Bishop Roger Vangheluwe of Bruges, who resigned after admitting that he had molested his own nephew. In June 2010 police raided the cardinal’s home and the offices of the Belgian bishops’ conference, apparently seeking evidence of criminal negligence by the hierarchy in abuse cases. A Belgian court eventually ruled that the search had been illegal and any evidence discovered as a result of the raid could not be used in court. In announcing that Archbishop Léonard’s resignation had been accepted, the Brussels archdiocese said that he would remain in place until his successor is named. The process of selecting a new archbishop is now underway, the statement indicated. This is a departure from the Vatican’s usual practice; ordinarily the announcement of a bishop’s resignation is made together with the naming of his successor.
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Further information:
- "Mgr Léonard n'aura pas été l'homme de la réconciliation"(Le Vif)
- Belgian archbishop's resignation will test Pope's policy on sex-abuse response (CWN, 5/5)
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