Pope Francis has accepted the request to defrock former Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, according to a statement from the Apostolic Nunciature.
Following his dismissal, Vangheluwe requested a retreat with no further contact with the outside world, dedicating himself to prayer and penitence.
Vangheluwe resigned as Bishop of Bruges in 2010 after admitting to years of abusing his underage nephew. Currently residing in France, he wrote to the Pope in late September, following a plea by the Bishop of Antwerp Johan Bonny to renounce the paedophile's titles. The contents of the letter remain unknown.
A sanction was imposed in 2011 but pornographic images were found on his computer during a 2012 investigation. This new evidence led the Pope to re-examine the case.
