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| Vatican ex-envoy Wesolowski faces child sex abuse trial | Vatican ex-envoy Wesolowski faces child sex abuse trial |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The Vatican is to put its former envoy to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski, on trial on child sex abuse and child pornography charges. | The Vatican is to put its former envoy to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski, on trial on child sex abuse and child pornography charges. |
| Pope Francis has also accepted the resignations of a US archbishop and his deputy, accused in Minnesota of having ignored a priest's child abuse. | Pope Francis has also accepted the resignations of a US archbishop and his deputy, accused in Minnesota of having ignored a priest's child abuse. |
| Jozef Wesolowski is accused of sexually abusing children in the Dominican Republic from 2008 to 2013. He is under house arrest in the Vatican. | Jozef Wesolowski is accused of sexually abusing children in the Dominican Republic from 2008 to 2013. He is under house arrest in the Vatican. |
| The trial is to begin on 11 July. | The trial is to begin on 11 July. |
| Wesolowski, 66, is also charged with possession of child pornography, dating from his return to Rome in 2013. | Wesolowski, 66, is also charged with possession of child pornography, dating from his return to Rome in 2013. |
| Analysis: David Willey, BBC News, Rome | |
| Two years into his papacy Pope Francis is making good on his promise promptly to follow up allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up by his bishops. | |
| Two American bishops resigned only days after their diocese was accused by local prosecutors of turning a blind eye to sex crimes against children committed by one of their priests. | |
| Months and even years used to elapse between whistle-blowers denouncing paedophile priests and reaction from the Vatican. | |
| Now Pope Francis acts within days. Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop who used to be a Vatican diplomat, is the highest ranking Vatican official ever to stand accused of sex crimes and keeping child pornography on his computer. | |
| Pope Francis has created a special new Vatican tribunal to try bishops accused of covering up sex crimes. But it still remains to be seen how effective this measure will be. | |
| The moves are seen as part of a crackdown by Pope Francis on clerics and employees of the Church who exploit minors. | The moves are seen as part of a crackdown by Pope Francis on clerics and employees of the Church who exploit minors. |
| Last year, the Pope compared the actions of those who commit such crimes to a "satanic mass". | Last year, the Pope compared the actions of those who commit such crimes to a "satanic mass". |
| He also strengthened the Vatican's laws against child abuse. | He also strengthened the Vatican's laws against child abuse. |
| Wesolowski, who is originally from Poland, was recalled from the Dominican Republic in 2013, after allegations surfaced accusing him of abusing Dominican boys. | Wesolowski, who is originally from Poland, was recalled from the Dominican Republic in 2013, after allegations surfaced accusing him of abusing Dominican boys. |
| He had spent five years in the Caribbean country as the papal envoy. | He had spent five years in the Caribbean country as the papal envoy. |
| He was defrocked in June last year after he was found guilty by a Church tribunal - he is the highest-ranking church official to be defrocked for such abuse. | He was defrocked in June last year after he was found guilty by a Church tribunal - he is the highest-ranking church official to be defrocked for such abuse. |
| He will now be tried by a Vatican criminal court. | He will now be tried by a Vatican criminal court. |
| A Vatican statement said the IT systems used by Wesolowski would be scrutinised. | A Vatican statement said the IT systems used by Wesolowski would be scrutinised. |
| He has been under house arrest in the Vatican since September. | He has been under house arrest in the Vatican since September. |
| The Vatican said at the time of his arrest that he had not been placed in a police cell because of his poor health. | The Vatican said at the time of his arrest that he had not been placed in a police cell because of his poor health. |
| If found guilty, he could face between six and 10 years in prison. | If found guilty, he could face between six and 10 years in prison. |
| US resignations | US resignations |
| The Vatican also accepted the resignations of an archbishop in the United States and his deputy following accusations that their archdiocese covered up the sexual abuse of children. | The Vatican also accepted the resignations of an archbishop in the United States and his deputy following accusations that their archdiocese covered up the sexual abuse of children. |
| They are Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. | They are Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. |
| John Nienstedt said in a statement that his leadership had drawn attention away from the good works of the church but stressed he was leaving "with a clear conscience". | John Nienstedt said in a statement that his leadership had drawn attention away from the good works of the church but stressed he was leaving "with a clear conscience". |
| Their resignation comes after prosecutors charged their archdiocese with "turning a blind eye" to repeated reports of inappropriate behaviour by a priest who was later convicted of molesting two boys. | Their resignation comes after prosecutors charged their archdiocese with "turning a blind eye" to repeated reports of inappropriate behaviour by a priest who was later convicted of molesting two boys. |
| Neither man was named in the indictment. | Neither man was named in the indictment. |
| Prosecutors accuse the archdiocese of failing to respond to "numerous and repeated reports of troubling conduct" by Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest currently serving a five-year prison sentence for molesting two boys. | Prosecutors accuse the archdiocese of failing to respond to "numerous and repeated reports of troubling conduct" by Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest currently serving a five-year prison sentence for molesting two boys. |