Should Bishop Vangheluwe be laicized? It's complicated
April 21, 2011
A bizarre television interview by Bishop Roger Vangeluwe has prompted calls for Vatican disciplinary action against the Belgian bishop. Since he has already been suspended from ministry, the next logical disciplinary step would be laicization.
John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter writes that laicization is possible, but poses problems of its own. If the Vatican cuts all ties with Bishop Vangeluwe, then the Church no longer has any control over him--and therefore no way to protect other children from him. Moreover, the television interview has also raised some concerns about the bishop's mental stability, and whether he is entirely responsible for his own actions.
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