Vatican City, Apr 4, 2011 / 10:32 am
A French Catholic media outlet is reporting that the Vatican stripped a bishop in Congo of his diocese because of “grave management problems” and "strong tensions" within his diocese.
France's I.Media reported that the Vatican took action after all available options were exhausted. The Vatican has not commented on the case or the I.Media report.
The rare step was announced by the Vatican March 31 in its daily news bulletin. The Vatican said only that Bishop Jean-Claude Makaya Loemba of Pointe-Noire, Congo had been "removed" from the pastoral care of his diocese.
The bishop had been in the position since 1995, when he was consecrated a bishop at 40 years of age.