The Vatican said yesterday the office dealing with the most serious offences in the Catholic Church was examining the case of a former Belgian bishop who admitted sexually abusing his nephew.

Pope Benedict XVI asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith several weeks ago “to look into” the case of the former bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.

The Pope accepted then Bishop Vangheluwe’s resignation on April 23, after he admitted to sexually abusing his nephew between 1973 and 1986. The 73-year-old went into seclusion and also apologised to his victim, the victim’s family, the Church and others. However, many have called for him to be dismissed from the Church.

The Belgian Catholic Church has been reeling from a deluge of paedophile scandals after a Church commission revealed nearly 500 cases of abuse by priests since the 1950s, including 13 victims who committed suicide.

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