Pope Replaces Convicted Australian Cleric

Ololade Odeyanju/

Pope Francis has appointed a bishop to administer an Australian archdiocese whose archbishop was convicted of covering up for a pedophile priest.

The Vatican said today that Bishop Gregory O’Kelly, an Adelaide native, would serve as apostolic administrator for the Adelaide archdiocese.

Two weeks ago, Archbishop Philip Wilson became the most senior Catholic cleric worldwide to be convicted of covering up child sex abuse. He faces a possible two-year prison term.

Also in Australia, Cardinal George Pell, who was one of the pope’s top aides when he served as Vatican finance minister, faces trial on sexual assault charges.

Francis recently insisted that top clerics be held responsible for failing to swiftly crack down on pedophile priests.

Decades-long pedophile scandals and systematic cover-ups have stained the Catholic Church’s reputation.