Bishop Michel Dubost, 77, now has executive responsibility for governing Lyon, whose archbishop is traditionally known as the "Primate of the Gauls".

He has been appointed as administrator "sede plena et ad nutum Sanctæ Sedis": this means he has full authority and will report directly to the pope.

Barbarin, 68, was given a six-month suspended sentence in March after he was found guilty of covering up sexual abuse by a priest.

The case against him involved abuse committed by Father Bernard Preynat at Lyon's Saint-Luc Parish, where he ran a large Catholic Scout group in the 1970s and 1980s.

Although Barbarin did not become head of the Lyon archdiocese until 2002, it was alleged that he had known of the abuse at least since 2010.

He suspended Preynat in 2015. In 2016, Preynat was charged with abuse and rape and is currently awaiting trial.

After meeting Francis in March to offer his resignation, Barbarin said Francis invoked "the presumption of innocence," and refused to accept his resignation before his appeal against his conviction is heard.

However, he said, the pope did respect his decision "to step away for a while and leave the leadership of the diocese to the vicar general," Father Yves Baumgarten.

Source

• The Tablet
• The Boston Pilot
• Image: Vatican News

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, who was convicted by the Lyon Correction Court, received a suspended sentence of six months for not denouncing the sexually abusive acts of Father Bernard Preynat when he was told of them in 2014 and 2015.

Preynat had already been accused of sexually abusing about 70 scouts in the 1970s and 1980s.

Barbarin was also blamed for allowing Preynat to continue to have contact with children while carrying out his work until September 2015.

Five other aides were tried with Barbarin. They were found not guilty due to a lack of evidence, or because of the historic nature of the offences.

At the sentencing, Judge Brigitte Vernay said Barbarin was "guilty of non-denunciation of mistreatment" of a minor between 2014 and 2015, the period in which he received the testimony of Alexandre Hezez who was the first victim to contact him about Preynat's abuse.

"The responsibility and guilt of the cardinal have been confirmed by this judgment. It's an extraordinary symbol, a moment of huge emotion," says Yves Sauvayre, a lawyer for the victims.

Francois Devaux, the spokesman for the victim support group La Parole Libérée, described the outcome as "historic" and as a "major victory for child protection".

He noted that such a prominent individual had never been prosecuted for these crimes in France, and he hailed the "pugnacity" of the victims.

Another organisation that supported Preynat's alleged victims says the outcome of the trial was "very important". It also called on individuals to report all cases of abuse.

Barbarin's defence lawyers say they will appeal the court's ruling.

"The reasoning of the court is not convincing," Jean-Felix Luciani says.

"We will contest this decision by all means possible. See you here in a few months for an appeal."

Source

• CNN
• La Croix
• Image: Vatican News