Baltimore, Md., Nov 12, 2018 / 07:57 am
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. bishops' conference has told the American bishops that they will not vote on two key proposals which had been expected to form the basis for the Church's response to the sexual abuse crisis.
The news came at the beginning of the U.S. bishops' conference fall general assembly, meeting in Baltimore Nov. 12-14.
The instruction to delay consideration of a new code of conduct for bishops and the creation of a lay-led body to investigate bishops accused of misconduct came directly from the Holy See, DiNardo told a visibly surprised conference hall.
DiNardo said that the Holy See insisted that consideration of the new measures be delayed until the conclusion of a special meeting called by Pope Francis for February. That meeting, which will include the presidents of the world's bishops' conferences, will address the global sexual abuse crisis.