PARIS – One of France’s best-known cardinals must defend charges that he failed to denounce a priest allowed to keep his job despite admitting to acts of pedophilia.
The Conference of Bishops of France said on Saturday that there would be “complete co-operation” by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.
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Barbarin and five others were handed preliminary charges last week by the Lyon prosecutor’s office for failure to denounce a crime and endangering others over a case that dated to 1991 – before Barbarin was named cardinal of Lyon. He has said he was convinced the priest had reformed in 2007-2008, when they met, and allowed him to stay on. The priest was removed last year after victims, now adults, stepped forward.
Barbarin denies ever “covering up” pedophilia acts by priests.
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