If a bishop, priest or deacon is convicted of a criminal offence against children and is sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more, then it would normally be right to initiate the process of laicisation. Failure to do so would need to be justified. Initiation of the process of laicisation may also be appropriate in other circumstances.
(Nolan, 2001, 3.5.32, p44).

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Monday, March 31, 2014

William Green - some news of laicisation (finally!)

William Green told a court last week that he had been laicised.  Green is the former parish priest of Holy Family, Wigan. He was convicted in 2008 for 26 offences of indecent assault committed mainly against students at St Bede's, Manchester (see http://caads.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/safeguarding-commission-refuses-to-say.html )

Green did not say when he had been laicised, although it is known that in December 2010 he had not yet been dismissed from the clerical status (see http://caads.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/wigan-today-paedo-priest-anger-17.html )

The court, last week, was considering civil actions against St Bede's by former pupils
.