Pope streamlines sex abuse appeals process for priests

VATICAN CITY, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Pope Francis has established a new tribunal to streamline appeals by priests accused of sex crimes, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

The board of seven bishops or cardinals, chosen by the pope, will deal with clergy accused of "delicta graviora," the most serious of crimes, and will be within the Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

There is a backlog of appeals within the congregation, and the pope's plan was "well received and is considered a good solution," said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.

Crimes including pedophilia emerged during the papacy of Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, and have cost the church millions worldwide in settlements and legal fees. Francis has apologized numerous times for the church's lack of attention to the crimes.

Tuesday's announcement comes a week after an Argentinian priest, Father Jose Mercau, was stripped of his clerical position after conviction for repeated acts of child sex abuse.