Pope Francis Refuses Dismissal of Discredited French Cardinal. Philippe Barbarin, the Archbishop of Lyon who was convicted of not reporting child abuse, said the Pope did not accept his resignation.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, one of the highest clergymen in the French Catholic Church, offered his resignation to Pope Francis after being sentenced early this month for not reporting child abuse by a priest in his diocese.
Dozens of scouts had accused the priest in a question of sexual abuse in the 1980s and 1990s.
Barbarin was not yet an archbishop at the time and was not informed of the case by one of the victims until 2014, but after being notified, Barbarin waited another year before making the complaints public. He said he was convinced that the priest had repented.
That conditionally placed him on a six-month conviction. Barbarin did not find him guilty and already announced that he will appeal the ruling, but he offered his resignation.
However, that is now – “based on the principle of the presumption of innocence” – refused by the pope, Barbarin says. The cardinal added that he was going to retire for some time in the diocese of Lyon. He leaves the current affairs to Vicar General Yves Baumgarten.