A French archbishop has been found guilty of covering up child sexual abuse by a priest in his diocese in yet another crushing blow to the Catholic church’s credibility on the most damaging issue it has faced in recent history, reports The Guardian.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence on Thursday for failing to report to the authorities accusations made against the priest.
Barbarin said he would submit his resignation to the pope within the next few days.
“The responsibility and guilt of the cardinal have been confirmed by this judgment. It’s an extraordinary symbol, a moment of huge emotion,” a lawyer for the victims, Yves Sauvayre, said after the verdict.
François Devaux, who leads a victims’ group in Lyon, said Barbarin’s conviction was a “major victory for child protection”. He added: “We see that no one is above the law. We have been heard by the court. This is the end of a long path.”
Barbarin’s lawyer said his client would appeal against the verdict, which followed a trial this year. “This is a decision that is not fair at the juridical level,” Jean-Felix Luciani said. “We hope that at the next step, justice will be done.”
There was no immediate response to the verdict from the Vatican.