Turnbull urges Pope to sack archbishop

Child abuse cover-up

Canberra, July 19: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday urged Pope Francis to sack the Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, who was earlier sentenced to one year in detention for covering up the sexual abuse of minors. Archbishop Wilson, the highest-level catholic priest convicted in a child sexual abuse case, was convicted in May of covering up abuse by a paedophile priest, but has resisted calls to resign. He said he would appeal against the verdict, the BBC reported. “He should have resigned and the time has come for the Pope to sack him,” Turnbull said at a press briefing. “Many leaders that have called on him to resign. It’s clear that he should resign and I think its time has come now for the ultimate authority in the church to take action and sack him.” (IANS)