Church says 152 priests removed

MEXICO CITY — The head of the Mexican bishops’ conference says that 152 Roman Catholic priests have been removed from the ministry over the past nine years for sex abuse offenses against “youths or vulnerable adults.”

Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera says some of the priests have been prosecuted and sent to prison, but did not specify how many.

Cabrera said Sunday that Mexico still doesn’t have a central clearinghouse for information on abuse by the clergy since each bishop handles cases that occur in his diocese.

Pope Francis has convened presidents of all the bishops’ conferences around the world for a three-day summit this month to address the abuse of minors.

The church often uses the term “vulnerable adults” to refer to those with mental or physical handicaps.