Barbarin said that he would ask Pope Francis to remove him from the post of Archbishop of Lyon

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In France, the court sentenced the Archbishop of Lyon, cardinal Philippe “Barbarella” to six months imprisonment for failure to report to the police on possible cases of pedophilia in the Lyon diocese, which he headed, was announced on 7 March, the newspaper Le Figaro.

According to the court, Barbarin aware of the consequences of their actions, but hide possible crimes, to preserve the good name of the Catholic Church.

After the verdict, the cardinal said that he would ask Pope Francis to remove him from the post of Archbishop of Lyon. At the trial the cardinal was absent.

During a press conference Barbarin stated that it accepts the court’s decision, and expressed sympathy for the victims of violence. The cardinal’s lawyers promised to appeal the sentence because their client is not guilty.

The facts stated in the judgment, concerning the activities of the priest of the Lyon diocese of the father of the PREN, which is alleged to have committed acts of sexual violence against the local scouts in the 1980-ies and 1990-ies. It is argued that Barbarino these facts became known in 2014-2015, but he has not asked them to militiamen.

Barbaren already resigned in 2016, after the first charges of concealing the crime, however, the Pope refused him this request.

20 August 2018, the Pope wrote a letter in which he acknowledged the existence of sexual violence against minors by priests. Francis promised not to cover the abuses of power perpetrated by priests and clergy. On 25 August in Dublin, the Irish he met with victims of priests-pedophiles.