Catholic lay leaders in India have accused church officials of ignoring papal instructions to deal with sex abuse by trying to shield a bishop facing allegations of murder, womanizing and corruption.
Lay leaders Chhotebhai and Melwyn Fernandes urged the papal nuncio to India, Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, to take action against Bishop Kannikadass Antony William of Mysore in Karnataka State.

Chhotebhai is the convener of the Indian Catholic Forum and adviser to Catholic Church Re-form International, while Fernandes is general secretary of the Association of Concerned Catholics, a forum of laypeople in India.

Some 37 priests sought Bi-shop William’s removal from office a year ago. The priests accused him of financial corru-ption, fathering children and having sexual relations with several women.