Pope Francis defrocks 2 more Chilean priests

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Saturday defrocked two more Chilean prelates accused of sexually abusing minors and, in what seemed a bid to show greater transparency about how he’s responding to the church’s global sex abuse crisis, the pontiff publicly explained why they were removed.

The Vatican’s unusually detailed statement announcing the laicization of Jose Cox Huneeus and Marco Antonio Ordenes Fernandez followed past missteps that appeared to underestimate the gravity of the scandal.

Explaining the latest removals as Chile’s church is called to account for decades of sexual abuse and cover-ups, the statement made clear the two were defrocked for abusing minors with evidence so overwhelming that a canonical trial was unnecessary.

The Vatican said the move could not be appealed.

Previously, the Vatican has rarely, if ever, announced laicizations of individual priests and only issued a single-line statement if a bishop had resigned, without further explanation.

Advocates for abuse survivors have long complained about the Vatican’s secrecy in handling such abuse cases, and the lack of transparency when arrived at judgments.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Saturday’s more detailed statement suggested a new trend in the way the Vatican will announce results of investigations of bishops accused of abuse.

The issue of church sex abuse came up in a papal audience earlier Saturday with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique, who also met with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Francis has recently removed two other Chilean prelates and denied them a chance to appeal.