French court considers cardinal’s appeal in sex abuse case

AA French cardinal’s career is at stake as he appears Thursday in an appeals court that will decide whether to uphold his conviction for covering up sexual abuse of children, reports FRANCE 24.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin tried to resign after the original conviction in March for failing to report a predator priest to police. But Pope Francis refused to accept the resignation until the appeals process is complete.

Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, had been given a six-month suspended sentence for “non-denunciation of sexual violence against minors.”

The appeal occurs at a time of increasing scrutiny around the world of the Catholic Church’s role in hiding abuse.

The case involves French priest Bernard Preynat, who has admitted to abusing Boy Scouts from the 1970s to 1990s.

Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.