US Roman Catholic officials said in a statement today they would propose drawing up a special process for dismissing paedophile priests to save the Church from further damaging sex abuse scandals.
However, there was no decision taken at an emergency two-day meeting ordered by Pope John Paul on a proposal to expel priests automatically from the priesthood once a first case of child sex abuse had been proven.
Asked if the meeting had decided on the so-called zero tolerance procedure, Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the US Bishops' Conference, told a news conference: "The specific resolution to that particular question will be finalised when the bishops meet in June."
He added: "There is a growing consensus, certainly among the faithful, that it is too great a risk to reassign a (paedophile) priest. It was not within the competence of this particular meeting to make that final determination."
The US Roman Catholic Church has been shaken to its foundations by accusations senior clergy sheltered paedophile priests, moving known abusers from parish to parish.
